Majority
Dr. Dhillon refused to attend, asserting that the requirement that he participate in the anger management class was "unfounded and unfair." In July 2013, John Muir sent Dr. Dhillon a letter informing him that the MEC had concluded that if he did not attend the class within one month, his clinical privileges would be suspended for "a period of just under 14 full days." Dr. Dhillon requested a hearing with John Muir's judicial review committee (JRC). John Muir replied that Dr. Dhillon was not entitled to such a hearing.
Like the high court in Finkelstein , we do not here undertake to answer "the broad question whether remands to administrative agencies are always immediately appealable." ( Finkelstein , supra , 496 U.S. at p. 623, 110 S.Ct. 2658 .) Instead, focusing on the nature of the particular remand order before us, similar considerations lead us to conclude that the superior court's order partially granting Dr. Dhillon's writ petition was an appealable final judgment.[2]
In its order, the superior court either granted or denied each of Dr. Dhillon's claims. Agreeing with Dr. Dhillon's reading of John Muir's bylaws, the trial court set aside the discipline John Muir had imposed and remanded with instructions to hold a hearing before the JRC or another
2 To the extent that Gillis v. Dental Bd. of California , supra , 206 Cal.App.4th at page 318, 141 Cal.Rptr.3d 213 ; Village Trailer Park, Inc. v. Santa Monica Rent Control Bd. , supra , 101 Cal.App.4th at pages 1139-1140, 124 Cal.Rptr.2d 857 ; Bolsa Chica Land Trust v. Superior Court , supra , 71 Cal.App.4th at pages 501-502, 83 Cal.Rptr.2d 850 ; and Board of Dental Examiners v. Superior Court , supra , 66 Cal.App.4th page 1430, 78 Cal.Rptr.2d 653 may be read as stating a categorical rule that a trial court's remand order in an administrative mandamus proceeding is never appealable, those decisions are disapproved.
Dr. Dhillon argues that even if the trial court's remand order was an appealable final judgment, John Muir has already received the functional equivalent of an appeal. He explains that following the trial court's
III. Dr. Dhillon argues that even if the trial court's remand order was an appealable final judgment, John Muir has already received the functional equivalent of an appeal. He explains that following the trial court's
In another line of cases, courts have stated that a trial court's order on administrative mandamus remanding the matter for further administrative proceedings is appealable. ( Quintanar v. County of Riverside (2014) 230 Cal.App.4th 1226 , 1232, 179 Cal.Rptr.3d 82 ; Carson Gardens, L.L.C. v. City of Carson Mobilehome Park Rental Review Bd. (2006) 135 Cal.App.4th 856 , 866, 37 Cal.Rptr.3d 768 ; City of Carmel-by-the-Sea v. Board of Supervisors (1982) 137 Cal.App.3d 964 , 970, 187 Cal.Rptr. 379 ; Carroll v. Civil Serv. Comm'n (1970) 11 Cal.App.3d 727 , 733, 90 Cal.Rptr. 128 .) But as with the line of decisions concluding that a remand order on administrative mandamus is not appealable, these decisions contain little or no reasoning.
We granted review to resolve this division of authority.
1 In an opinion not cited by the Court of Appeal in this case or by any of the authorities on which that court relied, Kumar v. National Medical Enterprises, Inc. (1990) 218 Cal.App.3d 1050 , 267 Cal.Rptr. 452 ( Kumar ) reached a somewhat similar conclusion about appealability based on a more thorough discussion of the question. We discuss Kumar at footnote 4, post .
Cuéllar, J.
I
Plaintiff Jatinder Dhillon is a thoracic surgeon with clinical privileges at two San Francisco Bay Area hospitals owned and operated by defendant John Muir Health (John Muir). In October 2011, one of Dr. Dhillon's colleagues lodged a complaint against him, claiming that he had been
The superior court granted the writ petition in part. It concluded that John Muir's bylaws entitled Dr. Dhillon to a hearing before the JRC or another appropriate body and that "he was deprived of ... due process when John Muir ... suspended his clinical privileges ... without providing him a hearing." It issued a peremptory writ directing John Muir to conduct such a hearing. In all other respects the court denied the petition for administrative mandamus.
John Muir filed a notice of appeal. It also filed a petition for writ of mandate and/or prohibition in the Court of Appeal, challenging the trial court's ruling. After soliciting informal opposition from Dr. Dhillon, the Court of Appeal summarily denied the writ petition. On the same day, it issued an order in John Muir's appeal directing the parties to brief the question whether the trial court's order directing John Muir to conduct a hearing was appealable. After reviewing the parties' briefs, the Court of Appeal issued an order dismissing the appeal. The order explained: "The superior court's order remanding the matter to John Muir Health is not a final, appealable order. (See Board of Dental Examiners v. Superior Court (1998) 66 Cal.App.4th 1424 [ 78 Cal.Rptr.2d 653 ] ; see also Gillis v. Dental Bd. of California (2012) 206 Cal.App.4th 311 , 318 [ 141 Cal.Rptr.3d 213 ].) Furthermore, the order and judgment at issue here are not appealable as a final determination of a collateral matter."
In one line of cases, on which the Court of Appeal in this case relied, courts have stated that a trial court's order on administrative mandamus remanding the matter for further administrative proceedings is not an appealable final judgment. ( Gillis v. Dental Bd. of California , supra , 206 Cal.App.4th at p. 318, 141 Cal.Rptr.3d 213 ; Village Trailer Park, Inc. v. Santa Monica Rent Control Bd. (2002) 101 Cal.App.4th 1133 , 1139-1140, 124 Cal.Rptr.2d 857 ; Bolsa Chica Land Trust v. Superior Court (1999) 71 Cal.App.4th 493 , 501-502, 83 Cal.Rptr.2d 850 ;
II
In general, an adverse ruling in a judicial proceeding is appealable once the trial court renders a final judgment. (Code Civ. Proc., § 904.1, subd. (a) ; Morehart v. County of Santa Barbara (1994) 7 Cal.4th 725 , 740-741, 29 Cal.Rptr.2d 804 , 872 P.2d 143 .) This general rule applies equally in administrative mandamus proceedings. An application for a writ of administrative mandamus is a "special proceeding of a civil nature" governed by the provisions of part 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure. A final judgment in a special proceeding is appealable unless a statute expressly prohibits the appeal ( Knoll v. Davidson (1974) 12 Cal.3d 335 , 343, 116 Cal.Rptr. 97 , 525 P.2d 1273 ; see also Code Civ. Proc., § 904.1 ), and the parties do not suggest that any such statute would bar the appeal in this case.
The question before us is therefore whether the trial court's order in this case was a final judgment. We have previously recognized that a judgment is final, and therefore appealable, " ' "when it terminates the litigation between the parties on the merits of the case and leaves nothing to be done but to enforce by execution what has been determined." ' " ( Sullivan v. Delta Air Lines, Inc. (1997) 15 Cal.4th 288 , 304, 63 Cal.Rptr.2d 74 , 935 P.2d 781 , quoting Doudell v. Shoo (1911) 159 Cal. 448 , 453, 114 P. 579 .) " 'It is not the form of the decree but the substance and effect of the adjudication which is determinative. As a general test, which must be adapted to the particular circumstances of the individual case, it may be said that where no issue is left for future consideration except the fact of compliance or noncompliance with the terms of the first decree, that decree is final, but where anything further in the nature of judicial action on the part of the court is essential to a final determination of the rights of the parties, the decree is interlocutory.' " ( Griset , supra , 25 Cal.4th at p. 698, 107 Cal.Rptr.2d 149 , 23 P.3d 43 ; see also Dana Point Safe Harbor Collective v. Superior Court (2010) 51 Cal.4th 1 , 5, 118 Cal.Rptr.3d 571 , 243 P.3d 575 .) "We have long recognized a 'well-established policy, based upon the remedial character of the right of appeal, of according that right in doubtful cases "when such can be accomplished without doing violence to applicable rules." ' " (
3 Dr. Dhillon argues that the trial court's order here was not a final judgment because it was not a "judgment" as that term is defined by subdivision (f) of Code of Civil Procedure section 1094.5, which states: "The court [in an administrative mandamus action] shall enter judgment either commanding respondent to set aside the order or decision, or denying the writ. Where the judgment commands that the order or decision be set aside, it may order the reconsideration of the case in light of the court's opinion and judgment and may order respondent to take such further action as is specially enjoined upon it by law, but the judgment shall not limit or control in any way the discretion legally vested in the respondent." Dr. Dhillon reasons that under this provision, a court adjudicating an administrative mandamus petition may issue only three kinds of judgments: (1) it may command the respondent to set aside the order or decision; (2) it may deny the writ, or (3) it may command the respondent to set aside the order or decision and reconsider the case, taking further action as required. Here, he asserts, the trial court's order fell into none of these categories. Assuming that subdivision (f) of Code of Civil Procedure section 1094.5 defines a "judgment" for the purposes of determining whether an order in an administrative mandamus proceeding is an appealable final judgment, Dr. Dhillon's argument nevertheless lacks merit. Although the order did not explicitly set aside the discipline imposed on Dr. Dhillon, that consequence was implicit in the trial court's determination that Dr. Dhillon was entitled to further administrative proceedings before he could be disciplined. By commanding John Muir to conduct those proceedings, the trial court necessarily set aside John Muir's order imposing the discipline. (See Griset , supra , 25 Cal.4th at p. 698, 107 Cal.Rptr.2d 149 , 23 P.3d 43 [" 'It is not the form of the decree but the substance and effect of the adjudication which is determinative.' "].)
4 Federal courts have similarly held that a federal district court's order remanding a matter to an administrative agency is appealable when the order is effectively unreviewable after resolution of the merits of the controversy. (E.g., Chuga c h Alaska Corp. v. Lujan (9th Cir. 1990) 915 F.2d 454 , 457 [an exception to the general rule that remand orders are not final applies when "(1) the district court conclusively resolves a separable legal issue, (2) the remand order forces the agency to apply a potentially erroneous rule which may result in a wasted proceeding, and (3) review would, as a practical matter, be foreclosed if an immediate appeal were unavailable"]; see also, e.g., Rush University Medical Center v. Leavitt (7th Cir. 2008) 535 F.3d 735 , 738 ["Unless the issues can be addressed in court while the agency deals with the remand, they might never be open to appellate review. That makes the district judge's decision effectively final.... The sort of remand ordered by the district judge is one that might well conclude without a return to court, so the decision is appealable."].) Although principles of finality under federal and California law may not be coextensive, these decisions reinforce our conclusion that practical unreviewability is a relevant consideration in determining whether a remand order is a final and appealable judgment. This practical consideration distinguishes this case from Kumar , supra , 218 Cal.App.3d 1050 , 267 Cal.Rptr. 452 . In Kumar , as in this case, a doctor challenged the suspension of his hospital privileges in a petition for writ of administrative mandamus, and the trial court granted the petition in part: It set aside the decision by the hospital's governing board upholding the doctor's suspension and remanded the matter for further administrative proceedings, but it did not reinstate the doctor's privileges. The doctor appealed. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, holding that the judgment was not appealable because the doctor was first required to exhaust his administrative remedies. ( Id. at pp. 1054-1057, 267 Cal.Rptr. 452 .) But the doctor in Kumar , unlike John Muir, would have had a later opportunity to raise an appellate challenge to the hospital's discipline if he did not prevail in the administrative hearing: He could file a second petition for administrative mandamus, and if the trial court ruled against him, he could appeal from the denial of his petition. Here, John Muir has no comparable guarantee of future opportunities to raise its challenge to the trial court's conclusion that its bylaws require it to hold a JRC hearing before imposing disciplinary measures. Thus, whether or not Kumar was correctly decided (a question we need not decide here), it is distinguishable on its facts.
We reverse the order of the Court of Appeal dismissing John Muir's appeal, and we remand the matter to that court with directions to reinstate the appeal.
We Concur:
Cantil-Sakauye, C.J.
Werdegar, J.
Chin, J.
Corrigan, J.
Cases cited
- JKH Enterprises, Inc. v. Department of Industrial Relations 142 Cal.App.4th 1046 p. 122
- Sullivan v. Finkelstein 110 S.Ct. 2658 p. 124, p. 1116
- Phelan v. Superior Court 35 Cal.2d 363 p. 127
- Quintanar v. County of Riverside 230 Cal.App.4th 1226 p. 1051
- Carson Gardens, L.L.C. v. City of Carson Mobilehome Park Rental Review Board 135 Cal.App.4th 856 p. 1051
- City of Carmel-by-the-Sea v. Board of Supervisors 137 Cal.App.3d 964 p. 1051
- Carroll v. Civil Service Commission 11 Cal.App.3d 727 p. 1051
- Silverbrand v. County of Los Angeles 46 Cal.4th 106 p. 1052
- Palma v. U.S. Industrial Fasteners, Inc. 36 Cal.3d 171 p. 1054
- James B. v. Superior Court 35 Cal.App.4th 1014 at 1018 p. 1054
- Leone v. Med. Bd. of Cal. 22 Cal.4th 660 p. 1054
- Bd. of Dental Examr's v. Superior Court of L.A. Cty. 66 Cal.App.4th 1424 p. 1113
- Gillis v. Dental Board 206 Cal.App.4th 311 at 318 p. 1113
- Beckley v. Board of Administration 222 Cal.App.4th 691 at 696 p. 1114
- Griset v. Fair Political Practices Commission 25 Cal.4th 688 p. 1114
- Lyon v. Goss 19 Cal.2d 659 p. 1114
- Village Trailer Park, Inc. v. Santa Monica Rent Control Board 101 Cal.App.4th 1133 p. 1114
- Bolsa Chica Land Trust v. Superior Court 71 Cal.App.4th 493 p. 1114
- Morehart v. County of Santa Barbara 7 Cal.4th 725 p. 1115
- Knoll v. Davidson 12 Cal.3d 335 p. 1115
- Sullivan v. Delta Air Lines, Inc. 15 Cal.4th 288 p. 1115
- Doudell v. Shoo 159 Cal. 448 p. 1115
- Dana Point Safe Harbor Collective v. Superior Court 51 Cal.4th 1 p. 1115
- City of Los Angeles v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County 234 Cal.App.4th 275 p. 1117
- Ng v. State Personnel Board 68 Cal.App.3d 600 p. 1117
- Belt v. Davis 1 Cal. 134 at 138 p. 1117
- Moles v. Regents of University of California 32 Cal.3d 867 p. 1119
- Lewis v. Superior Court 19 Cal.4th 1232 p. 1119
- Villery v. Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation 246 Cal.App.4th 407 p. 1119
- Powers v. City of Richmond 10 Cal.4th 85 p. 1119