The court’s approach to service of documents involving a state

Table of contents

• What is the approach courts are taking when dealing with service of a document on a state?
• How did the decisions in (1) General Dynamics v Libya and (2) Qatar National Bank v Eritrea shape this approach?
• Additionally, what were the findings in (1) Kuwait Airlines Corporation v Iraqi Airways and (2) Certain Underwriters At Lloyds London v Syrian Arab Republic? How did they impact this area?
• What are some of the differences between the approach of the court when dealing with service of the claim form and when serving other documents?
• What do practitioners need to be aware of in light of the court’s changing approach and recent case law? Is there anything else to keep an eye on?

Article summary

Dispute Resolution analysis: Andrew Cannon, a partner at Herbert Smith Freehills, and Hannah Ambrose, a senior associate with the firm, discuss the approach courts are now taking when dealing with service of a document on a state and consider how this has been influenced by recent case law.