Seashell Shipping Corporation v Mutualidad de Seguros del Instituto Nacional de Industria (“The Magnum” ex “Tarraco Augusta”): CA 1989

Where the decision as to forum depends upon the construction of the document or documents in one language and the rival courts are, on the one hand, courts whose native language is that of the document and on the other hand, courts whose native language is not that of the document, it is in the interests of the parties and the ends of justice that the true meaning should be ascertained and be decided by the courts whose native language is that of the document.
Parker LJ said: ‘In my view it would be unjust to the plaintiff to prevent him from proceeding in Courts where the result of his bargain would be to produce success and to force him to proceed in Courts where the result would or might be that the defendants escaped from their bargain.’

Judges:

Parker LJ

Citations:

[1989] 1 Lloyds Rep 47

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

CitedSawyer v Atari Interactive Inc ChD 1-Nov-2005
The claimant owned the copyright in several successful computer games. He had granted licenses for the use of the software, which licences were assigned to the defendants. Disputes arose as to the calculation of royalty payments, and the claimant . .
CitedAmin Rasheed Shipping Corp v Kuwait Insurance Co HL 1983
A claimant must show good reason why service on a foreign defendant should be permitted. This head of jurisdiction was an exorbitant jurisdiction, one which, under general English conflict rules, an English court would not recognise as possessed by . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Jurisdiction, Contract

Updated: 08 April 2022; Ref: scu.237272