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R (Freedom and Justice Party) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Amnesty International intervening)

Subject Matter

CONFLICT OF LAWS — Sovereign immunity — Diplomatic immunity — Members of special missions — Whether state obliged to grant members of special missions immunity from criminal jurisdiction — Whether common law recognising such obligation

[2018] EWCA Civ 1719; [2019] QB 1075; [2019] 2 WLR 578; [2019] 1 All ER 133; [2018] WLR (D) 460, CA

INTERNATIONAL LAW — Customary law — Special missions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office accepting visit of special mission to United Kingdom — Claimants asking police to arrest member of mission in respect of torture offences — Whether rule of customary international law that members of special missions immune from prosecution — Whether such rule given effect by common law

[2018] EWCA Civ 1719; [2019] QB 1075; [2019] 2 WLR 578; [2019] 1 All ER 133; [2018] WLR (D) 460, CA

Appellate History

R (Freedom and Justice Party) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Amnesty International intervening) [2016] EWHC 2010 (Admin), DC

Decision of the Divisional Court of the Queen’s Bench Division affirmed

R (Freedom and Justice Party) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Amnesty International intervening) [2018] EWCA Civ 1719; [2019] QB 1075; [2019] 2 WLR 578; [2019] 1 All ER 133; [2018] WLR (D) 460, CA

Cases Considered

Cases considered in: R (Freedom and Justice Party) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Amnesty International intervening) [2018] EWCA Civ 1719; [2019] QB 1075; [2019] 2 WLR 578; [2019] 1 All ER 133; [2018] WLR (D) 460, CA

R (Freedom and Justice Party) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Amnesty International intervening) Considered

R (Freedom and Justice Party) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Amnesty International intervening) Dicta of Lord Mance JSC, para 150 applied

Cases Cited

Cases cited in: R (Freedom and Justice Party) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Amnesty International intervening) [2016] EWHC 2010 (Admin), DC

Al Attiya v Al Thani [2016] EWHC 212 (QB), QBD

Ayliffe v Director of Public Prosecutions [2006] UKHL 16; [2007] 1 AC 136; [2006] 2 WLR 772; [2006] 2 All ER 741; [2006] 2 Cr App R 136, HL(E)

Bat v Federal Court Of Germany [2011] EWHC 2029 (Admin), QBD

Estrada v Al-Juffali (Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs intervening) [2016] EWCA Civ 176; [2017] Fam 35; [2016] 3 WLR 243; [2017] 1 All ER 790; [2017] 1 FLR 702; [2016] WLR (D) 163, CA

Gouriet v Union of Post Office Workers [1977] UKHL 5; [1978] AC 435; [1977] 3 WLR 300; [1977] 3 All ER 70, HL(E)

Holland v Lampen-Wolfe [2000] 1 WLR 1573; [2000] 3 All ER 833, HL(E)

In re S (Hospital Patient: Court’s Jurisdiction) [1996] Fam 1; [1995] 3 WLR 78; [1995] 3 All ER 290; [1995] 1 FLR 1075, CA

Jones v Ministry of the Interior of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs intervening) [2006] UKHL 26; [2007] 1 AC 270; [2006] 2 WLR 1424; [2007] 1 All ER 113, HL(E)

Khurts Bat v Investigating Judge of the Federal Court of Germany [2011] EWHC 2029 (Admin); [2013] QB 349; [2012] 3 WLR 180, DC

Mohammed (Serdar) v Ministry of Defence [2015] EWCA Civ 843; [2017] AC 649; [2016] 2 WLR 247; [2015] WLR (D) 354, CA

Oxfordshire County Council v Oxford City Council [2006] UKHL 25; [2006] 2 AC 674; [2006] 2 WLR 1235; [2006] 4 All ER 817; [2006] LGR 713, HL(E)

R (Al-Haq) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [2009] EWHC 1910 (Admin); [2009] ACD 76, QBD

R (Hampstead Heath Winter Swimming Club) v Corpn of London [2005] EWHC 713 (Admin); [2005] 1 WLR 2930; [2005] LGR 481, QBD

R (Keyu) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [2015] UKSC 69; [2016] AC 1355; [2015] 3 WLR 1665; [2016] 4 All ER 794; [2016] HRLR 2; [2015] WLR (D) 487; The Times, 15 December 2015; Case details, SC(E)

R (Williams) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2015] EWHC 1268 (Admin); [2015] WLR (D) 217; [2015] ACD 111, QBD

R v Bow Street Metropolitan Stipendiary Magistrate, Ex p Pinochet Ugarte (No 3) [2000] 1 AC 147; [1999] 2 WLR 827; [1999] 2 All ER 97, HL(E)

R v Comr of Police of the Metropolis, Ex parte Blackburn [1968] 2 QB 118; [1968] 2 WLR 893; [1968] 1 All ER 763, CA

R v Governor of Pentonville Prison, Ex parte Teja [1971] 2 QB 274; [1971] 2 WLR 816; [1971] 2 All ER 11, DC

R v Knuller (Publishing, Printing and Promotions) Ltd [1973] AC 435; [1972] 3 WLR 143; [1972] 2 All ER 898; 56 Cr App R 633, HL(E)

R v. Secretary of State for the Home Department, ex parte Thakrar [1974] 1 QB 684

Rolls-Royce plc v Unite the Union [2009] EWCA Civ 387; [2010] 1 WLR 318; [2010] ICR 1; [2009] WLR (D) 157, CA

Royal College of Nursing of the United Kingdom v Department of Health and Social Security [1981] AC 800; [1981] 2 WLR 279; [1981] 1 All ER 545, HL(E)

Russian Commercial and Industrial Bank v British Bank for Foreign Trade Ltd [1921] 2 AC 438, HL

Service v Castaneda (1845) 1 Holt Eq 158

Trendtex Trading Corporation Ltd. v. Central Bank of Nigeria [1977] 1 QB 529

Cases cited in: R (Freedom and Justice Party) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Amnesty International intervening) [2018] EWCA Civ 1719; [2019] QB 1075; [2019] 2 WLR 578; [2019] 1 All ER 133; [2018] WLR (D) 460, CA

Al Attiya v Al Thani [2016] EWHC 212 (QB), QBD

Arrest Warrant of 11 April 2000 (Democratic Republic of the Congo v Belgium) [2002] ICJ Rep 3

Ayliffe v Director of Public Prosecutions [2006] UKHL 16; [2007] 1 AC 136; [2006] 2 WLR 772; [2006] 2 All ER 741; [2006] 2 Cr App R 136, HL(E)

Barbuit’s Case in Chancery (1736) Tal 281

Belhaj v Straw [2017] UKSC 3; [2017] AC 964; [2017] 2 WLR 456; [2017] 3 All ER 337; [2017] WLR (D) 51; Case details, SC(E)

Benkharbouche v Embassy of the Republic of Sudan [2017] UKSC 62; [2019] AC 777; [2017] 3 WLR 957; [2017] ICR 1327; [2018] 1 All ER 662; [2017] WLR (D) 691; Case details, SC(E)

Bo Xilai, In re (2005) 128 ILR 713

British Broadcasting Corpn v Johns [1965] Ch 32; [1964] 2 WLR 1071; [1964] 1 All ER 923; 41 TC 471, CA

Certain Questions of Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters (Djibouti v France) [2008] ICJ Rep 177

Doğan v Barak (unreported) 13 October 2016, United States District Court, CD, California

Estrada v Al-Juffali (Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs intervening) [2016] EWCA Civ 176; [2017] Fam 35; [2016] 3 WLR 243; [2017] 1 All ER 790; [2017] 1 FLR 702; [2016] WLR (D) 163, CA

Fenton Textile Association Ltd v Krassin (1921) 38 TLR 259, CA

Fisheries Jurisdiction Case (United Kingdom v Iceland) [1974] ICJ Rep 3; 5 IELR 3

Holland v Lampen-Wolfe [2000] 1 WLR 1573; [2000] 3 All ER 833, HL(E)

Hubert X (unreported) 23 September 2009, Cour de cassation

Immunities and Criminal Proceedings (Equatorial Guinea v France) CR 2016/15, ICJ

JH Rayner (Mincing Lane) Ltd v Department of Trade and Industry [1990] 2 AC 418; [1989] 3 WLR 969; [1989] 3 All ER 523, HL(E)

Jean-Francois H, Director General of Police of the Republic of the Congo (unreported) 9 April 2008, Cour de cassation

Jones v Ministry of the Interior of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs intervening) [2006] UKHL 26; [2007] 1 AC 270; [2006] 2 WLR 1424; [2007] 1 All ER 113, HL(E)

Jurisdictional Immunities of the State (Germany v Italy (Greece intervening)) [2012] ICJ Rep 99

Khurts Bat v Investigating Judge of the Federal Court of Germany [2011] EWHC 2029 (Admin); [2013] QB 349; [2012] 3 WLR 180, DC

Kilroy v Windsor (1978) 81 ILR 605

Lewis v Mutond (2017) 258 F Supp 3d 168

Military and paramilitary activities in and against Nicaragua (Nicaragua v United States of America) [1986] ICJ Rep 14

Mohammed (Serdar) v Ministry of Defence [2017] UKSC 1; [2017] AC 649; [2017] 2 WLR 287; [2017] 3 All ER 179; [2017] WLR (D) 49; Case details, SC(E)

North Sea Continental Shelf Cases (Federal Republic of Germany v Denmark; Federal Republic of Germany v The Netherlands) [1969] ICJ Rep 3

Nulyarimma v Thompson [1999] FCA 1192; 165 ALR 621

Philippines, Republic of the v Marcos (1987) 665 F Supp 793

R (JS) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Child Poverty Action Group intervening) [2015] UKSC 16; [2015] 1 WLR 1449; [2015] PTSR 471; [2015] 4 All ER 939; [2015] HLR 21; [2015] HRLR 5; [2015] WLR (D) 159; The Times, 2 April 2015; (2015) 18 CCL Rep 215; Case details, SC(E)

R (Keyu) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [2015] UKSC 69; [2016] AC 1355; [2015] 3 WLR 1665; [2016] 4 All ER 794; [2016] HRLR 2; [2015] WLR (D) 487; The Times, 15 December 2015; Case details, SC(E)

R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Birnie intervening) [2017] UKSC 5; [2018] AC 61; [2017] 2 WLR 583; [2017] 1 All ER 593; [2017] WLR (D) 53; Case details, SC(E)

R (Pretty) v Director of Public Prosecutions (Secretary of State for the Home Department intervening) [2001] UKHL 61; [2002] 1 AC 800; [2001] 3 WLR 1598; [2002] 1 All ER 1; [2002] 1 FLR 268; [2002] 2 Cr App R 1, HL(E)

R v Bow Street Metropolitan Stipendiary Magistrate, Ex p Pinochet Ugarte (No 3) [2000] 1 AC 147; [1999] 2 WLR 827; [1999] 2 All ER 97, HL(E)

R v Governor of Pentonville Prison, Ex p Osman (No 2) (1988) 88 ILR 378, DC

R v Governor of Pentonville Prison, Ex parte Teja [1971] 2 QB 274; [1971] 2 WLR 816; [1971] 2 All ER 11, DC

R v Immigration Officer at Heathrow Airport, Ex parte Thakrar [1974] QB 684; [1974] 2 WLR 593; [1974] 2 All ER 261, CA

R v Knuller (Publishing, Printing and Promotions) Ltd [1973] AC 435; [1972] 3 WLR 143; [1972] 2 All ER 898; 56 Cr App R 633, HL(E)

SACE SpA v Republic of Paraguay (2017) 243 F Supp 3d 21

SS Lotus, Case of the (France v Turkey) (1927) PCIJ Series A, No 10, p 4

Service v Castaneda (1845) 2 Coll 56

Syrian National Immunity Case (1998) 127 ILR 88

Tabatabai (1983) 80 ILR 389

Thai-Europe Tapioca Service Ltd v Government of Pakistan, Directorate of Agricultural Supplies [1975] 1 WLR 1485; [1975] 3 All ER 961; [1976] 1 Lloyd's Rep 1, CA

Trendtex Trading Corpn v Central Bank of Nigeria [1977] QB 529; [1977] 2 WLR 356; [1977] 1 All ER 881; [1977] 1 Lloyd's Rep 581, CA

Triquet v Bath (1764) 3 Burr 1478

United States of America v Sissoko (1997) 121 ILR 599; 995 F Supp 1469

Ure v Commonwealth of Australia [2016] FCAFC 8

Vietnamese National (15 June 2006) OVG 8 S 39.06, Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg

Weixum v Xilai (2008) 568 F Supp 2d 35

Williams v Central Bank of Nigeria [2014] UKSC 10; [2014] AC 1189; [2014] 2 WLR 355; [2014] 2 All ER 489; [2014] WLR (D) 88; Case details, SC(E)

Cases citing

Cases citing: R (Freedom and Justice Party) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Amnesty International intervening) [2016] EWHC 2010 (Admin), DC

In re Al M [2020] EWHC 67 (Fam); [2020] 1 WLR 1858; [2020] 2 FLR 443; [2020] WLR (D) 179, Fam D

R (Bancoult) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (No 3) [2018] UKSC 3; [2018] 1 WLR 973; [2018] 2 All ER 945; [2018] WLR (D) 79; Case details, SC(E)

R (Charles) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [2020] EWHC 3185 (Admin); [2021] 1 WLR 1394; [2020] WLR(D) 641, DC

R (FDJ) v Secretary of State for Justice (Lamble intervening) [2021] EWHC 1746 (Admin); [2021] 1 WLR 5265; [2021] WLR(D) 367, DC

The Law Debenture Trust Corpn plc v Ukraine [2017] EWHC 655 (Comm); [2017] QB 1249; [2017] 3 WLR 667; [2017] WLR (D) 226, QBD

Cases citing: R (Freedom and Justice Party) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Amnesty International intervening) [2018] EWCA Civ 1719; [2019] QB 1075; [2019] 2 WLR 578; [2019] 1 All ER 133; [2018] WLR (D) 460, CA

Al-Masarir v Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [2022] EWHC 2199 (QB); [2023] QB 475; [2023] 2 WLR 549; [2022] WLR(D) 370, QBD

Barnet London Borough Council v AG (A Child) [2022] EWCA Civ 1505; [2023] Fam 261; [2023] 3 WLR 249; [2023] 2 All ER 1128; [2023] 1 FLR 895, CA

Heathrow Airport Ltd v HM Treasury [2021] EWCA Civ 783; [2021] STC 1203, CA

Micula v Romania (European Commission intervening) [2018] EWCA Civ 1801; [2019] Bus LR 1394; [2018] WLR (D) 496, CA

R (Begum) v Special Immigration Appeals Commission [2020] EWCA Civ 918; [2020] 1 WLR 4267; [2020] WLR(D) 421, CA

R (El Gizouli) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2019] EWHC 60 (Admin); [2019] 1 WLR 3463; [2019] 3 All ER 598; [2019] WLR (D) 87; [2019] WLR(D) 87, QBD

R (Hoareau) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [2020] EWCA Civ 1010; [2021] 1 WLR 472; [2020] WLR(D) 453, CA

The Law Debenture Trust Corpn plc v Ukraine [2023] UKSC 11; [2024] AC 411; [2023] 2 WLR 699; [2023] 3 All ER 175; [2023] 2 All ER (Comm) 191; [2023] WLR(D) 127; The Times, 3 April 2023, SC(E)

The Law Debenture Trust Corpn plc v Ukraine [2018] EWCA Civ 2026; [2019] QB 1121; [2019] 2 WLR 655; [2018] WLR (D) 583, CA

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