The defendants sought a stay of the action, arguing that proceedings had begun first in Switzerland. Held: An English court became seised of an action for the purposes of the Convention at the time when the proceedings were served. Under the Lugano Convention the court vested with jurisdiction where that jurisdiction arose under art 16, … Continue reading Speed Investments Ltd and Another v Formula One Holdings Limited and Others (No 2): ChD 20 Jul 2004
The court was asked whether a constructive trust claim based on dishonest assistance is a matter ‘relating to tort, delict or quasi delict’ for the purpose of Article 5(3) of the Brussels Convention? Held: A constructive trust claim based upon dishonest assistance is within the scope of Article 5(3). The loss took place where the … Continue reading Casio Computer Co Ltd v Sayo and others: CA 11 Apr 2001
Four children complained that, for years before they were taken into care by the local authority, its social services department was well aware that they were living in filthy conditions and suffering ‘appalling’ neglect in the home of their parents. Suspicions of abuse had arisen in 1987, but they were given effective support only in … Continue reading Z And Others v The United Kingdom: ECHR 10 May 2001
An application was made by a local authority to restrict publication of the name of a defendant in criminal proceedings in order to protect children in their care. The mother was accused of having assaulted the second respondent by knowingly transmitted HIV/Aids to him by having unprotected sex but hiding her HIV status. Held: The … Continue reading A Local Authority v W L W T and R; In re W (Children) (Identification: Restrictions on Publication): FD 14 Jul 2005
World-wide freezing orders had been made under the 1982 Act. The defendants were members of a Turkish family with substantial business interests in the telecommunications industry. In breach of orders made in the US some defendants had sought to hide their assets. They had failed to respond as required to orders to disclose their assest, … Continue reading Motorola Credit Corporation v Uzan and others (No 2): CA 12 Jun 2003
Contempt Procedures Not to be abused Reasons for dismissal of contempt application. Held: The contempt application against Ms McGivern was dismissed and certified as being totally without merit. The court does not grant injunctions to parties to litigation to be used as a weapon against those perceived to be opponents. Once Ms McGivern had provided … Continue reading MBR Acres Ltd and Others v McGivern: QBD 2 Aug 2022
The defendants who were resident in Greece appealed a decision that the English court had jurisdiction over them, by virtue of a close connection of the matter with earlier proceedings heard here. Held: The fact that the defendants were all defendants in the earlier proeedings was what mattered. That these were new proceedings did not … Continue reading Masri v Consolidated Contractors International (UK) Ltd: CA 24 Oct 2005
(Rec 1991,p I-4743) (Judgment) 1. The second paragraph of Article 37 of the Convention of 27 September 1968 on Jurisdiction and the Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters is to be interpreted as meaning that a decision taken under Article 38 of the Convention by which the court with which an appeal has … Continue reading Van Dalfsen and others v Van Loon and others: ECJ 4 Oct 1991
An action relating to misrepresentation before a contract of re-insurance is, within the Lugano Convention, an action relating to a contract, rather than to insurance. Accordingly the appropriate forum for any litigation was the place where the obligation under question was to be performed rather than that of the domicile of the defendant. The assumption … Continue reading Agnew (Suing On His Own Behalf and In a Representative Capacity on Behalf of all Members of Lloyd’s Syndicates 672, 79, 1023 and 590) and Others v Lansforsakringsbolagens A B: HL 17 Feb 2000
The court considered a jurisdiction clause in a bill of lading which referred to the carrier’s principal place of business. The central management and control of the company was in Germany and the question was whether that was also its principal place of business. Held: It was. The shareholders and officers of the shipowning company … Continue reading The Rewia: CA 1991
Convention on Jurisdiction and Enforcement of Judgments – Scope – Matters excluded – Arbitration – Meaning – Application to a court for the appointment of an arbitrator – Included – Need to settle a preliminary question concerning the existence or validity of the arbitration clause – No effect (Convention of 27 September 1968, Article 1(4)) … Continue reading Rich v Societa Italiana Impianti (Rec 1991,p I-3855) (Judgment): ECJ 25 Jul 1991
ECJ Article 21 of the Convention of 27 September 1968 on Jurisdiction and the Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters must be interpreted as meaning that the rules applicable to lis alibi pendens set out therein must be applied irrespective of the domicile of the parties to the two sets of proceedings. Without … Continue reading Overseas Union Insurance Ltd and others v New Hampshire Insurance Company: ECJ 27 Jun 1991
AMT entered into many financial services agreements providing for exclusive EW jurisdiction. It now sought to restrain the defendant German lawyers from encouraging litigation in Germany saying that induced breaches of the contracts. It also sought as damages the costs incurred in the German litigation. The defendant asserted lack of jurisdiction saying that the alleged … Continue reading AMT Futures Ltd v Marzillier and Others: SC 1 Mar 2017
The applicant was a solicitor employed by a company in Belgium. He later resigned claiming unfair dismissal, saying he had been pressed to become involved in unlawful activities. The defendants sought to challenge the jurisdiction of the English Tribunal system. The defendants had begun procedures in Spain for conciliation. The claimant had obtained an injunction … Continue reading Turner v Grovit and others: HL 13 Dec 2001
Shareholder May Sue for Additional Personal Losses A company brought a claim of negligence against its solicitors, and, after that claim was settled, the company’s owner brought a separate claim in respect of the same subject-matter. Held: It need not be an abuse of the court for a shareholder to seek damages against advisers to … Continue reading Johnson v Gore Wood and Co: HL 14 Dec 2000
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The family were wealthy, and had lived for some time in Spain. On the breakdown of the marriage, the wife returned to the UK, and sought ancillary relief here, though the divorce had been in Spain. The husband argued that this should be dealt with by a Spanish court. Held: The court could not understand … Continue reading Moore v Moore: CA 20 Apr 2007
Inherent High Court power may restrain Publicity The claimant child’s mother was to be tried for the murder of his brother by poisoning with salt. It was feared that the publicity which would normally attend a trial, would be damaging to S, and an application was made for reporting restrictions to be applied to avoid … Continue reading In re S (a Child) (Identification: Restrictions on Publication): HL 28 Oct 2004
Presumption in Favour of Open Proceedings There had been an unauthorised dissemination by the petitioner to third parties of the official shorthand writer’s notes of a nullity suit which had been heard in camera. An application was made for a committal for contempt. Held: The House equated the contempt to a breach of an injunction … Continue reading Scott v Scott: HL 5 May 1913
The parties to a contract had agreed that Poland should have non-exclusive jurisdiction over disputes. Poland was not a party to the Lugano Convention, but both parties were domiciled in contracting states. Held: The agreement had extended exclusive jurisdiction to the Polish courts through article 17 of the Convention. The agreement must first be interpreted … Continue reading Insured Financial Structures Ltd v Elektrocleplownia Tychy SA: CA 28 Jan 2003
The claimant had been employed as a solicitor by the respondent at locations across Europe, and came to claim in England that they had wrongly implicated him in unlawful activity. The company sought to issue proceedings in Spain. Held: The Brussels Convention was based upon trust and respect between contracting states. The Convention did not … Continue reading Turner v Grovit: ECJ 27 Apr 2004
Arbitration jurisdiction applications stayed The claimant sought declaratory relief as to the basis of a purchase after he placed a bid for a blockchain-based non-fungible token (also known as an NFT) associated with an artwork by the artist known as Beeple titled ‘Abundance’. The court was now asked to decide was whether the English court … Continue reading Soleymani v Nifty Gateway Llc: ComC 24 Mar 2022
Rehearing/Review – Little Difference on Appeal The appellant asked the Court to reverse a decision on the facts reached in the lower court. Held: The appeal failed (Majority decision). The court’s approach should be the same whether the case was dealt with as a rehearing or as a review. Tanfern was limited to appeals from … Continue reading Assicurazioni Generali Spa v Arab Insurance Group (BSC): CA 13 Nov 2002
‘This appeal concerns the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. It raises general questions relating to: (1) the place which the habitual residence of the child occupies in the scheme of that Convention, and (2) whether and when a wrongful retention of a child may occur if the travelling parent originally … Continue reading Re C (Children): SC 14 Feb 2018
In each case the prisoners challenged their transfer to cellular confinement or segregation within prison or YOI, saying that the transfers infringed their rights under Article 6, saying that domestic law, either in itself or in conjunction with recent decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, acknowledged that serving prisoners have a right to … Continue reading King, Regina (on The Application of) v Secretary of State for Justice: CA 27 Mar 2012
The piercing of the veil argument was used to attempt to bring an English public company, which was the parent company of a group which included subsidiaries in the United States, within the jurisdiction of the courts of the United States. Where a . .
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