Facts
The Federal Insurance Court was seized of an appeal by the Federal Social Insurance Office against a decision of the Insurance Court of the Canton of Solothurn. The latter had ruled null and void five contribution decisions issued by the Compensation Fund of the Canton of Solothurn against the insured Emil Demarmels, on the grounds that they were not signed.Considerations
The Federal Court considers that the signature is not a condition of validity of contribution decisions. Although the written form is required by Art. 128 para. 1 OASIO for decisions of the funds concerning the claims or debts of an insured person or contributor, this requirement does not necessarily include the obligation to sign. Administrative case law and doctrine accept that the authorities may use printed forms for decisions to be rendered in large numbers and whose content varies little from one case to another, without the competent official signing them.
Therefore, the fact that the disputed contribution decisions were drawn up by typewriter or computer, without a…