DEATH-KNELL DOCTRINE

death-knell  doctrine.A  rule  allowing  an  interlocutory  appeal  if  precluding  an  appeal  until

final judgment would moot the issue on appeal and irreparably injure the appellant’s rights. • Once

recognized  as  an  exception  to  the  final-judgment  rule,  the  doctrine  was  limited  by  the  U.S.

Supreme Court in Coopers & Lybrand v. Livesay, 437 U.S. 463, 98 S.Ct. 2454 (1978). There, the

Court held that the death-knell doctrine does not permit an immediate appeal of an order denying

class certification. But the doctrine still applies in some contexts. For example, the doctrine allows an  immediate  appeal  of  the  denial  of  a  temporary  restraining  order  when  the  lack  of  an  appeal

would  leave  nothing  to  be  considered  in  the  trial  court.  Woratzeck  v.  Arizona  Bd.  of  Executive

Clemency,   117   F.3d   400   (9th   Cir.   1997).   —   Also   termed   death-knell   exception.   See

FINAL-JUDGMENT RULE. [Cases: Appeal and Error    68, 73(2); Federal Courts    572.1. C.J.S.

Appeal and Error §§ 82–84, 94.] [Blacks Law 8th]