Belgium took Switzerland to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The dispute concerning the interpretation and application of the Lugano Convention on jurisdiction and the enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters has arisen out of the pursuit of parallel judicial proceedings in Belgium and Switzerland in respect of the civil and commercial dispute between the main shareholders in Sabena, the former Belgian airline now in bankruptcy.Belgium claims that Swiss courts, including in particular the Federal Supreme Court, have refused to recognize the future Belgian decisions on the civil liability of the Swiss shareholders or to stay their proceedings pending the outcome of the Belgian proceedings. According to Belgium, these refusals violate various provisions of the Lugano Convention.Source: ICJ press release 2009/36
