SUPREME COURT WENT BEYOND THE PARAMETERS OF THE REMITTAL BY ACCEPTING SUPPLEMENTAL ARGUMENTS ON NEW CASE LAW AND BY RENDERING A DECISION ON GROUNDS NOT INCLUDED IN THE REMITTAL; DISMISSAL OF THE COMPLAINT REVERSED, DEFAMATION CAUSES OF ACTION REINSTATED (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing (modifying) Supreme Court, determined Supreme Court went beyond the parameters of the remittal. Supreme Court had dismissed the complaint. The Fourth Department reinstated several defamation causes of action:

We agree with plaintiff that the court impermissibly expanded the scope of the remittal. “[A] trial court, upon a remand or remittitur, is without power to do anything except to obey the mandate of the higher court, and render judgment in conformity therewith” … . This Court expressed our remittal directive in our order, and Supreme Court impermissibly expanded the scope of that remittal by accepting supplemental arguments on, inter alia, the effect of new case law relating to the retroactivity of the amended anti-SLAPP statute, and by basing its decision on grounds that were not included within the remittal .. . Trinh v Nguyen, 2025 NY Slip Op 07136, Fourth Dept 12-23-25

Practice Point: Here Supreme Court did not follow the mandate of the remittal by accepting new legal arguments and deciding the case on grounds not included in the remittal. Supreme Court’s dismissal of the complaint was reversed.