Opinion ID: 535674
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: standard of review

Text: 10 A dismissal for failure to state a claim pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6) is a ruling on a question of law that we review de novo. See Fort Vancouver Plywood Co. v. United States, 747 F.2d 547, 552 (9th Cir.1984). Review is limited to the contents of the complaint, see id., and the complaint should not be dismissed under the rule unless it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his claim which would entitle him to relief, Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46, 78 S.Ct. 99, 101-02, 2 L.Ed.2d 80 (1957); see also Gibson v. United States, 781 F.2d 1334, 1337 (9th Cir.1986), cert. denied, 479 U.S. 1054, 107 S.Ct. 928, 93 L.Ed.2d 979 (1987). 11 The customary deference for the district court is not applicable to its determination to grant a declaratory judgment. The court of appeals must exercise its own sound discretion to determine the propriety of the district court's grant or denial of declaratory relief. United States v. Washington, 759 F.2d 1353, 1356-57 (9th Cir.) (en banc) (citations omitted), cert. denied, 474 U.S. 994, 106 S.Ct. 407, 88 L.Ed.2d 358 (1985); accord Guerra v. Sutton, 783 F.2d 1371, 1376 (9th Cir.1986) (the court reviews the denial of declaratory relief de novo). III