The metal ion (M2+) catalysed dissociation of cis‐diaquobisoxalatochromate into the tetraaquomonooxalato complex in aqueous perchloric acid medium which follows the rate law — d(complex)/dt = {kH[H+] + kM[M2+]}[complex] has been studied. Based on kM values the order of catalysing effect of the different metal ions studied is Cu2+ > Ni2+ > Co2+ > Mn2+, which is also the order of stabilities (KMOx) of the monooxalato complexes of these metal ions; in fact the plot of log kM vs. log KMOx is linear. This together with the relative values of ΔH≠ and ΔS≠ for the H+ catalysed and M2+ catalysed paths is in agreement with a mechanism involving chelation of the catalysing cation through the free carbonyl oxygens of the oxalate ligand bound to Cr(III), followed by the dissociation of the Cr(III)O bonds with simultaneous entry of two water molecules into the coordination sphere of Cr(III). Copyright © 1977 Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim