Rahimtoola v Nizam of Hyderabad: HL 1957

A claim was made against the former High Commissioner for Pakistan personally for money had and received. He established that he had received the money in England in his official capacity as High Commissioner.
Held: Appeal allowed. The application of the doctrine of sovereign immunity does not depend upon the persons between whom the issue is joined, but upon the subject-matter of the issue.
The House described the basis of state immunity: ‘The principle of sovereign immunity is not founded on any technical rules of law: it is founded on broad considerations of public policy, international law and comity.’ Lord Denning MR in the Court of appeal had expressed, obiter, the view that judicial immunity should not apply to commercial transactions, but the House expressly dissociated themselves from this view, because the point had not been argued.

Judges:

Lord Reid, Viscount Simonds

Citations:

[1958] AC 379, [1957] 3 WLR 884, [1957] 3 All ER 441

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Citing:

OverruledRahimtoola v Nizam of Hyderabad CA 1957
The court considered the doctrine of state immunity. Lord Denning MR said: ‘If the dispute brings into question, for instance, the legislative or international transactions of a foreign government, or the policy of its executive, the court should . .

Cited by:

CitedJones v Ministry of Interior Al-Mamlaka Al-Arabiya As Saudiya Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and Another CA 28-Oct-2004
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 . .
CitedAIC Limited v The Federal Government of Nigeria, the Attorney General of the Federation of Nigeria QBD 13-Jun-2003
AIC had used the 1920 Act to register a judgment obtained in Nigeria against the Nigerian Government. The underlying matter was a commercial transaction. Nigeria applied to set the registration aside, saying that registration was an adjudicative act . .
CitedBelhaj and Another v Straw and Others SC 17-Jan-2017
The claimant alleged complicity by the defendant, (now former) Foreign Secretary, in his mistreatment by the US while held in Libya. He also alleged involvement in his unlawful abduction and removal to Libya, from which had had fled for political . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

International, Contract

Updated: 14 June 2022; Ref: scu.219441