The appellant had contracted to construct a factory in Iraq. On the imposition of sanctions, the respondent bank’s assets were frozen. The appellant sought to recover the sums due to it, and obtained judgment in France. After the fall of Hussain, arrangements were put in place to begin to pay the respondent’s creditors, and debt … Continue reading SerVaas Incorporated v Rafidian Bank and Others: SC 17 Aug 2012
The claimant sought damages from the defendant barristers who had represented her in criminal proceedings. They had not passed on to her the statement made by the judge in chambers that if she pleaded guilty he would not impose a sentence of imprisonment, but sought to persuade her to change her plea. When she did … Continue reading Awoyomi v Radford and Another: QBD 12 Jul 2007
The claimant had been detained by the US in Guantanamo Bay suspected of terrorist involvement. He sought to support his defence documents from the respondent which showed that the evidence to be relied on in the US courts had been obtained by torture, and in particular by the hiding of his detention for many months … Continue reading Mohamed, Regina (on the Application of) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (No 1): Admn 21 Aug 2008
The court was asked as to the compatibility of provisions in the 1978 Act with the human rights of the appellant. The claimants, Moroccan nationals were employed as domestic staff in embassies in London. They alleged both race discrimination and breach of the 1998 Regulations, saying that the statutory exemption of the Embassies from liability … Continue reading Benkharbouche v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs: SC 18 Oct 2017
Evidence from 3rd Party Torture Inadmissible The applicants had been detained following the issue of certificates issued by the respondent that they posed a terrorist threat. They challenged the decisions of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission saying that evidence underlying the decisions had probably been obtained by torture committed by foreign powers, and should not … Continue reading A and others v Secretary of State for the Home Department (No 2): HL 8 Dec 2005
The claimants had each been detained without trial for more than two years, being held as suspected terrorists. They were free leave to return to their own countries, but they feared for their lives if returned. They complained that the evidence used to justify their detention was derived from practices involving torture by the US … Continue reading A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, Mahmoud Abu Rideh Jamal Ajouaou v Secretary of State for the Home Department: CA 11 Aug 2004
Mrs Nolan had been employed at a US airbase. When it closed, and she was made redundant, she complained that the appellant had not consulted properly on the redundancies. The US denied that it had responsibility to consult, and now appealed. Held: The appeal failed (Lord Carnworth dissenting). That the exact situation might not have … Continue reading The United States of America v Nolan: SC 21 Oct 2015
The claimants challenged the 2004 Order which prevented their return to their homes on the Chagos Islands. The islanders had been taken off the island to leave it for use as a US airbase. In 2004, the island was no longer needed, and payment had been made (ineffectively) to assist the dispossessed islanders, but an … Continue reading Bancoult, Regina (on the Application of) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (No 2): HL 22 Oct 2008
EAT STATE IMMUNITY A cook at the Sudanese embassy, and a member of the domestic staff of the Libyan embassy, both made claims arising out of their employment. They were met with pleas of State Immunity, which were upheld by two separate ETs. They appealed on the basis that the plea of immunity denied them … Continue reading Benkharbouche v Embassy of The Republic of Sudan (Jurisdictional Points : State Immunity): EAT 4 Oct 2013
The House was asked whether an action for unlawful means conspiracy was available against a participant in a missing trader intra-community, or carousel, fraud. The company appealed a finding of liability saying that the VAT Act and Regulations contained the entire regime. Held: Criminal conduct at common law or by statute can constitute unlawful means … Continue reading Total Network Sl v Revenue and Customs: HL 12 Mar 2008
Extent of Counsel’s Immunity in Negligence The House considered the extent of a barrister’s immunity from action in negligence, and particularly whether it covered pre-trial acts or omissions in connection with civil proceedings. Held: A barrister’s immunity from suit extended only to such pre-trial work as was intimately connected with the conduct of the case … Continue reading Saif Ali v Sydney Mitchell and Co (a Firm): HL 1978
nigeria_ogbonnaEAT2011 EAT JURISDICTIONAL POINTS – State immunityA claim for compensation for psychiatric illness caused by unlawful discrimination is a claim for ‘personal injury’ within the meaning of section 5 of the State Immunity Act 1978 and an employment tribunal accordingly has jurisdiction to entertain such a claim by an employee of a state even if … Continue reading The Federal Republic of Nigeria v Ogbonna: EAT 12 Jul 2011
The applicants had been imprisoned and held without trial, being suspected of international terrorism. No criminal charges were intended to be brought. They were foreigners and free to return home if they wished, but feared for their lives if they did. A British subject, who was suspected in the exact same way, and there were … Continue reading A v Secretary of State for the Home Department, and X v Secretary of State for the Home Department: HL 16 Dec 2004
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Commercial interactions with foreign states are governed by the State Immunity Act 1978 (‘SIA’). This appeal raises questions about how to enforce an arbitral award (the ‘Award’) against a foreign state within this framework, namely whether: 1. the . .
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Application made by the second defendant for an order that, in effect, bifurcates the determination of issues concerning the jurisdiction of the court to entertain a claim brought by the claimant against the second defendant. The order sought is for an order that a hearing be limited to the determination to (i) whether the second … Continue reading Dynasty Company for Oil and Gas v Trading Ltd v The Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq and Another: ComC 4 Mar 2020
The Defendant, YRG applied to set aside without notice orders permitting the Claimants to serve an arbitration claim form and other documents on YRG at the address of their solicitors in the jurisdiction and setting down an expedited timetable for the determination of the arbitration claim, and abridging the time for filing an acknowledgment of … Continue reading PCL and Others v The Y Regional Government of X: ComC 23 Jan 2015
State immunity- Service of claim- Applicant sending e-mails instituting claim against foreign state to state’s foreign and commonwealth office- Whether documents validly served Teare J [2018] EWHC 181 (Comm), [2018] WLR(D) 330 Bailii, WLRD State Immunity Act 1978 12(1) England and Wales International Updated: 06 December 2021; Ref: scu.617004
EAT Jurisdictional Points : State Immunity – An employee at the Brazilian Embassy in London was dismissed having reached the age of 70. He contended that he had been unfairly dismissed and that the dismissal constituted unlawful jurisdiction on the grounds of age. The claim form was served in accordance with the provisions of section … Continue reading Embassy of Brazil v De Castro Cerqueira: EAT 28 Mar 2014
The defendant had been wrongly convicted of IRA bombings. She said that the prosecution had failed to disclose evidence. Held: The prosecution’s forensic scientists are under a common law duty to disclose to the defence anything they may discover which may assist the defendant. ‘Non-disclosure is a potent source of injustice and even with the … Continue reading Regina v Ward (Judith): CACD 15 Jul 1992
A commercial debt due to the claimant from the former Iraqi government, and for which judgment had been obtained in France, had been bought from receivers by the new Iraqi Development fund. The appellants sought to secure their judgment in full by a Third Party Debt Order. The respondents had certified it to be a … Continue reading Servaas Incorporated v Rafidain Bank and Others: CA 3 Nov 2011
The claimant was a non-white head teacher, alleging that her school governors and local authority had undermined and had ‘deliberately endorsed a targeted campaign of discrimination, bullying, harassment and victimisation’ against her as an Asian head teacher; and that the Council, ‘deliberately and unlawfully endorsed a targeted campaign of discrimination, bullying and harassment and victimisation … Continue reading Singh v Moorlands Primary School and Another: CA 25 Jul 2013
The claimant had been an employee of a foreign diplomatic mission. He said that he was not debarred by the 1978 Act from bringing claims for unfair dismissal and breach of working time regulations, saying that any exemption would infringe his human rights. Held: (i) where there is a breach of a right afforded under … Continue reading Benkharbouche and Another v Embassy of The Republic of Sudan: CA 5 Feb 2015
Grand Chamber – The applicant alleged that he had been deprived of his right of access to a court as a result of the immunity from jurisdiction upheld by the domestic courts.This was a claim for unfair dismissal, brought before the French courts by the head of the accounts department of the Kuwaiti embassy in … Continue reading Sabeh El Leil v France: ECHR 29 Jun 2011
A bank account used to cover the day-to-day expenses of an Embassy, clearly served sovereign purposes and therefore was immune from enforcement measures. The Act of 1978 must be read against the background of customary international law current in 1978. It is highly unlikely that Parliament intended to require United Kingdom courts to act contrary … Continue reading Alcom Ltd v Republic of Colombia: HL 1984
The court considered the developing international jurisdiction over commercial activities of state bodies which might enjoy state immunity, and sought to ascertain whether or not the Central Bank of Nigeria was entitled to immunity from suit. Held: The key questions are those of ‘governmental control’ and ‘governmental functions’ and that these are to be determined … Continue reading Trendtex Trading Corporation v Central Bank of Nigeria: CA 1977
G was a prisoner who was refused permission by the Home Secretary to consult a solicitor with a view to bringing libel proceedings against a prison officer. The court construed article 6 of ECHR, which provides that ‘in the determination of his civil rights . . everyone is entitled to a fair . . hearing’, … Continue reading Golder v The United Kingdom: ECHR 21 Feb 1975
Grand Chamber – The first applicant said he had been injured by a shot fired by a British soldier who had been carried for two miles into the Republic of Ireland, clinging to the applicant’s vehicle following an incident at a checkpoint. Held: Rules granting the State immunities, did not infringe the applicants’ right to … Continue reading McElhinney v Ireland; Al-Adsani v United Kingdom; Fogarty v United Kingdom: ECHR 21 Nov 2001
The government of Spain had issued an arrest warrant and application for extradition in respect of Pinochet Ugarte for his alleged crimes whilst president of Chile. He was arrested in England. He pleaded that he had immunity from prosecution. Held: A head of state’s immunity from prosecution extends only to official acts performed in exercise … Continue reading Regina v Bartle and The Commissioner Of Police For The Metropolis and Others Ex Parte Pinochet Ugarte, Regina v Evans and Another and The Commissioner of Police For The Metropolis and Others (No 1): HL 22 Nov 1998
Application for third party debt order. Judges: Arnold J Citations: [2010] EWHC 3287 (Ch) Links: Bailii Statutes: State Immunity Act 1978 13(4) Jurisdiction: England and Wales Cited by: See Also – Servaas Incorporated v Rafidain Bank and Others ComC 14-Dec-2010 The claimant had supplied a factory to Iraq, but remained unpaid. Assets had been frozen … Continue reading Servaas Inc v Rafidain Bank and Others: ChD 14 Dec 2010
The court considered a claim to sovereign immunity made on behalf of respondents who were the half brother of the sovereign and his son. They lived apart from the sovereign but claimed to be members of his household. Held: The claims to immunity failed. Claims made by family members other than the very closest might … Continue reading Apex Global Management Ltd v FI Call Ltd and Others: ChD 19 Mar 2013
ECHR Article 6 Criminal proceedings Article 6-1 Access to court Decision to strike out civil claims alleging torture on account of immunity invoked by defendant State (the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and its officials: no violation Facts – The applicants alleged that they had been subjected to torture while in custody in the Kingdom of … Continue reading Jones And Others v The United Kingdom: ECHR 14 Jan 2014
The parties were involved in an international investment dispute arbitration. An injunction had been sought to prevent repatriation of assets to Bolivia. Held: The international system of arbitration was not subject to any national law and did not therefore amount to legal proceedings which would be capable of supporting the sort of relief claimed. The … Continue reading ETI Euro Telecom International Nv v Republic of Bolivia and Another: CA 28 Jul 2008
The appellant challenged a decision by the tribunal made in its absence that the tribunal had jurisdiction to hear against it a claim for unfair dismissal. Held: The tribunal had erred. Though Sengupta had been decided under common law, it remained instructive. Though the tribunal had cited the section, it had not applied it correctly. … Continue reading United Arab Emirates v Abdelghafar and Another: EAT 10 Jul 1995
The prosecution have a duty to disclose to the defence the statement of an adverse witness and not just to provide the name and address, even though that person was not seen as credible witness by the prosecution. ‘the rule in Bryant and Dickson is not in conformity with the principles relating to disclosure established … Continue reading Regina v Mills, Regina v Poole: HL 24 Jul 1997
The defendant was to sell a Maori carving which had been unlawfully exported from New Zealand. The Attorney General sought its recovery and an injunction to prevent its sale, relying on the Historical Articles Act 1962. The judge had ordered its return. Held: The appeal succeeded. The section could only take effect once forfeiture had … Continue reading Attorney-General of New Zealand v Ortiz: CA 2 Jan 1982
The claimants said that they had been tortured by Saudi police when arrested on false charges. They sought damages, and appealed against an order denying jurisdiction over the defendants. They said that the allegation of torture allowed an exception to state immunity. Held: The Kingdom’s appeal succeeded. The protection of state immunity was essentially a … Continue reading Jones v Ministry of Interior for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and others: HL 14 Jun 2006
Police’s Complete Immunity was Too Wide (Grand Chamber) A male teacher developed an obsession with a male pupil. He changed his name by deed poll to the pupil’s surname. He was required to teach at another school. The pupil’s family’s property was subjected to numerous acts of vandalism, which the police investigated and in respect … Continue reading Osman v The United Kingdom: ECHR 28 Oct 1998
(Jurisdictional Points, Practice and Procedure) In advance of a preliminary hearing to determine whether the Appellant benefited from state immunity under the State Immunity Act 1978, the First Respondent and the former Second Respondent (whose claim has since been withdrawn) sought an order for specific disclosure, following the standard disclosure previously given by the Appellant. … Continue reading Kuwait Investment Office v Hard: EAT 30 Mar 2022
Where a defence had been filed to an action without a claim for state immunity having been made, it would have to be shown that the head of mission had submitted to the jurisdiction. Judges: Peter Gibson LJ Citations: [1996] ICR 25 Statutes: State Immunity Act 1978 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Cited by: Cited – … Continue reading Ahmed v Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: CA 1996
The claimants sought damages alleging torture by the respondent whilst held in custody in Saudi Arabia. Held: Although the state enjoyed freedom from action, where the acts were ones of torture, and action could proceed against state officials involved personally. The court had been correct to reject the claim against the state. Despite other developments, … Continue reading Jones v Ministry of Interior Al-Mamlaka Al-Arabiya As Saudiya Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and Another: CA 28 Oct 2004
An entity which is constituted in such a way that its purpose is to assist, promote and advance the industrial development, prosperity and economic welfare of the area in which it operates, can be seen as effectively carrying out government policy in the way that a government department does and therefore to assume the position … Continue reading Mellenger v New Brunswick Development Corporation: CA 1971
Banker’s Liability for Negligent Reference The appellants were advertising agents. They were liable themselves for advertising space taken for a client, and had sought a financial reference from the defendant bankers to the client. The reference was negligent, but the bankers denied any assumption of a duty of care to a third party when purely … Continue reading Hedley Byrne and Co Ltd v Heller and Partners Ltd: HL 28 May 1963
The claimant had made a claim for unfair dismissal. The defendant state had filed a defence instead of claiming state immunity. It then sought to assert such immunity. The claimant said the state had waived its immunity. Held: Section 2(7) of the 1978 Act does not have the effect that only a submission by the … Continue reading Aziz v Republic of Yemen: CA 17 Jun 2005
The claimant sought return of recordings and of money paid to the defendant through an alleged fraud or threats. She was the former wife of the Sultan of Brunei and head of state, who now sought an order requiring the court to protect his identity in the proceedings, saying that the Acts required the UK … Continue reading Aziz v Aziz and others: CA 11 Jul 2007
Mr Justice Calvert [2021] EWHC 2512 (Comm) Bailii, Judiciary State Immunity Act 1978 1 14 England and Wales International, Torts – Other Updated: 20 December 2021; Ref: scu.668396
The appellant republic appealed against an order allowing the enforcement against it of a judgment obtained in the US by the claimant. There is no treaty between the US and the UK for the mutual recognition and enforcement of judgments, and an action must be brought on the judgment. The action pleaded the waiver of … Continue reading Republic of Argentina v NML Capital Ltd: CA 4 Feb 2010
LRA Beneficial Interests, Trusts and Restrictions : Restrictions Where No Beneficial Interest Dismemberment of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; entry of restrictions; lex situs; private domestic law of England and Wales; occupation of property by a member of the Serbian diplomatic mission; principle of justiciability; ‘sufficient interest’; ‘right or claim’; Agreement on Succession Issues … Continue reading The Republic of Croatia v The Republic of Serbia: LRA 2 Jul 2009
The Employment Appeal Tribunal must give reasons for its decision, if it chooses to allow the amendment of appeal the papers in order to hear a point of law which had been conceded in the industrial tribunal. Citing Liverpool Corporation v Wilson, ‘if a point of law goes to jurisdiction, that may be a good … Continue reading Jones v Governing Body of Burdett Coutts School: CA 2 Apr 1998
Use of Special Counsel as Last Resort Only The accused faced charges of conspiring to supply Class A drugs. The prosecution had sought public interest immunity certificates. Special counsel had been appointed by the court to represent the defendants’ interests at the applications. Held: It was permissible to use special counsel, but this must genuinely … Continue reading Regina v H; Regina v C: HL 5 Feb 2004
The claimant had supplied a factory to Iraq, but remained unpaid. Assets had been frozen in the respondent Iraqi bank, and with the new government, the liquidators were to pay assets to a fund who were, in turn to discharge debts pro rata. The appellant sought a third party debt order, but the respondent relied … Continue reading Servaas Incorporated v Rafidain Bank and Others: ComC 14 Dec 2010
Guidance for Wasted Costs Orders Guidance was given on the circumstances required for the making of wasted costs orders against legal advisers. A judge invited to make an order arising out of an advocate’s conduct of court proceedings must make full allowance for the fact that an advocate has to make decisions quickly and under … Continue reading Ridehalgh v Horsefield; Allen v Unigate Dairies Ltd: CA 26 Jan 1994
Immunity from disclosure of their identity should be given to those who gave information about neglect or ill treatment of children to a local authority or the NSPCC similar to that which the law allowed to police informers. Lord Simon of Glaisdale said: ‘I cannot leave this particular class of relevant evidence withheld from the … Continue reading D v National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children: HL 2 Feb 1977
A design for sunglasses was challenged for prior publication. However the law in England differed from that apparently imposed from Europe as to the existence of a 12 month period of grace before applying for registration.
Held: Instruments . .
The applicant sought habeas corpus to prevent his extradition to France.
Held: The English court was not to be concerned with facts underlying an extradition request. The laws of France were framed differently, but the facts alleged would . .
The claimant pursued Employment Tribunal proceedings against the Immigration Service when his security clearance was withdrawn. The Tribunal allowed the respondent to use a closed material procedure under which it was provided with evidence unseen . .
The defendant had requested the Isle of Man authorities to investigate the part if any taken by the plaintiff in a major fraud. No charges were brought against the plaintiff, but the documents showing suspicion came to be disclosed in the later . .
