The Weekly Law Reports
[2015] 2 WLR 1105
Court of Appeal
Belhaj and another v Straw and others (United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and others intervening)
[2014] EWCA Civ 1394
2014 July 21,
22,
23;
Oct 30
Lord Dyson MR, Lloyd Jones, Sharp LJJ
Conflict of laws— Sovereign immunity— Act of state— Claim for damages for unlawful detention and mistreatment in four foreign states and on board United States aircraft— Claimants alleging participation of members of United Kingdom executive, intelligence services and government departments— Whether doctrines of state immunity and act of state operating as bar to claim— Whether claim falling within public policy limitation on doctrine of act of state— Whether English court lacking jurisdiction to hear claim— Whether claim non-justiciable— Whether determination of applicable law appropriate