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Aide d'État
Avocat général Szpunar : les États membres peuvent adopter des mesures de soutien pour garantir l'effectivité des droits des éditeurs de presse pour autant que ces mesures ne portent pas atteinte à la liberté contractuelle

Rugu
Espace de liberté, sécurité et justice
Avocat général Rantos : l’État membre refusant d’exécuter un mandat d’arrêt européen en raison des conditions de détention dans l’État membre d’émission est tenu d’ordonner l’exécution, sur son propre territoire, de la peine infligée dans ce dernier État membre

An employment dispute between a Greek stewardess and her employer offered the Supreme Court of Greece the opportunity to discuss the interpretation of Articles 20 and 21 of the Brussels I bis Regulation, on jurisdiction over individual employment contracts. The Supreme Court’s ruling on the matter (Ruling No 1453 of 2024) relies heavily on the […]

 

Private international law in post-Soviet Central Asian countries is clearly underrepresented in the literature, despite the fact that countries such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have fairly detailed legislation on international jurisdiction, applicable law, and the enforcement of foreign judgments. (For a general overview of Kazakhstan, see the entry on the country in J. Basedow et al. (eds), Encyclopedia of Private International Law, Vol. III (Edward Elgar), p. 2229, and the English translation of the relevant provisions in Vol. IV, p. 3358.)

To help address this gap, I’m pleased to share the publication of a new monograph on Private International Law in Kazakhstan, authored by Nurzhan S. Yeshniyazov and Mokhammed Abdel Mottaleb, and published in June 2025 as part of the International Encyclopaedia of Laws – Private International Law, by Kluwer Law International:

This monograph offers a systematic and up-to-date overview of Kazakhstan’s legal framework governing cross-border civil and commercial matters, including international jurisdiction, applicable law, and the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards. The content follows the standardized outline used across the Encyclopaedia, ensuring consistency and comparability with other national reports.

The addition of Kazakhstan to this global reference work is certainly a welcome development, helping to broaden the comparative scope of the series and providing valuable insights into a region that remains underrepresented in private international law scholarship.

 

The general table of contents of the monograph reads as follows:

Title Page – pp. 1–1

Copyright – pp. 2–2

The Authors – pp. 3–4

Table of Contents – pp. 5–12

List of Abbreviations – pp. 13–14

General Introduction – pp. 15–30

Part I. General Principles (Choice of Law Technique) – pp. 31–76

• Chapter 1. Sources of PIL
• Chapter 2. Determination of the Applicable Law
• Chapter 3. Basic Terms

Part II. Conflict of Law Rules – pp. 77–164

• Chapter 1. Persons
• Chapter 2. Obligations
•  Chapter 3. Property
•  Chapter 4. Intangible Property Rights
• Chapter 5. Family Law
• Chapter 6. Succession Law

Part III. Annex: International Civil Procedure – pp. 165–192

• Chapter 1. Sources of International Civil Procedure
• Chapter 2. The Principle of Lex Fori
• Chapter 3. National Jurisdiction
• Chapter 4. International Jurisdiction
• Chapter 5. Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Decisions
• Chapter 6. International Insolvency Law
• Chapter 7. International Arbitration

Selected Bibliography – pp. 193–195

Annexes – pp. 196–195

• Annex I: The Civil Code – pp. 196–210
• Annex II: Merchant Shipping – pp. 211–213
• Annex III: The Civil Procedure Code – pp. 214–227
• Annex IV: Arbitration Law – pp. 228–230

Table of Cases – pp. 231–232

Case Citation:

Sqimnga (Nig.) Ltd v. Systems Applications Products (Nig.) Ltd [2025] 2 NWLR 423 (Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, Nigeria)

The dispute in this case arose between two Nigerian companies, Sqimnga Nigeria Ltd (the appellant) and Systems Applications Products Nigeria Ltd (the respondent). Both parties had entered into a Master Service Agreement in Nigeria, relating specifically to software solutions. A critical provision of this agreement stipulated that the laws of South Africa would govern any disputes, and further, that South African courts would possess exclusive jurisdiction to hear any matters arising from the agreement.

When a disagreement emerged between the parties, Sqimnga Nigeria Ltd initiated legal proceedings at the Lagos State High Court. The respondent immediately contested the jurisdiction of the Nigerian court, relying on the contractual clause mandating the use of South African law and courts.

At the High Court level, the court declined jurisdiction over the matter. This decision hinged on the court’s determination that Sqimnga Nigeria Ltd had not provided sufficient evidence or compelling reasons why the Nigerian courts should assume jurisdiction contrary to the clearly stipulated jurisdiction clause in the Master Service Agreement.

Dissatisfied with the High Court’s ruling, Sqimnga Nigeria Ltd appealed to the Court of Appeal. The appellant argued that the trial judge had misapplied the relevant legal principles by overlooking uncontroverted pleadings and witness statements. Additionally, the appellant contended that litigating the case in South Africa would impose unnecessary expenses and inconvenience upon the parties.

However, the Court of Appeal unanimously upheld the decision of the trial court, dismissing the appeal. In reaching this conclusion, the Court emphasized several key considerations. First, it reinforced the fundamental principle of contractual agreements through the maxims pacta sunt servanda (agreements must be kept) and consensu facit legem (consent makes law), asserting that freely made agreements, absent fraud or duress, must be upheld.

Secondly, the Court emphasized that the explicit foreign jurisdiction clause agreed upon by the parties could only be set aside if a compelling justification were provided. To evaluate whether such justification existed, the Court applied the Brandon tests derived from the English case of The Eleftheria (1969) 1 Lloyd’s L. R. 237. These tests require the party challenging the jurisdictional clause to present clear evidence demonstrating “strong cause” for a local court to assume jurisdiction in deviation from the contractual agreement. The Court concluded that Sqimnga Nigeria Ltd failed to meet this evidentiary standard, as its arguments relied primarily on pleadings, unadopted witness statements, and legal submissions from counsel, none of which constituted adequate evidence to satisfy the Brandon tests.

The Court acknowledged the appellant’s concern regarding the inconvenience and additional costs associated with litigating abroad but held that such factors alone, without further compelling justification, were insufficient to disregard the jurisdiction clause explicitly agreed upon by both parties.

Consequently, the appeal was dismissed, thereby reaffirming the position that Nigerian courts will generally respect and enforce foreign jurisdiction clauses and choice of law provisions in contracts unless the challenging party can conclusively demonstrate compelling reasons otherwise. Additionally, the appellant was ordered to pay the associated costs.

 

It is worth noting that South African courts may also be inaccessible where the parties cannot establish a sufficient connection to that forum. For example, in Veneta Mineraria Spa v Carolina Collieries (Pty) Ltd (1987) (4) SA 883 (A) at 894 A–B, Viljoen JA held that in a dispute between two foreign parties (peregrini), the mere submission of the defendant (a peregrinus) is not, by itself, sufficient to confer jurisdiction on the South African court.

In such a case, to which court should the party seeking to enforce its rights turn? Had counsel and the Nigerian courts benefited from comparative research on South African law, the outcome might have been different, potentially on grounds of public policy. The Nigerian Supreme Court’s decision in Sonnar (Nig.) Ltd v. Nordwind (1987) 4 NWLR (Pt. 66) 520, 535, affirms that where a foreign court is inaccessible, a Nigerian court may decline to enforce a foreign jurisdiction clause on public policy grounds.

In conclusion, a private international law lawyer best serves their client by being well-versed in the comparative dimensions of the subject.

Kaili / Parlement
Accès aux documents : le Tribunal annule la décision du Parlement ayant refusé l’accès de son ancienne vice-présidente, Mme Eva Kaili, à certains documents

sprd.net / EUIPO (Majuscule "I" et cœur rouge sur la partie gauche de la poitrine d’un vêtement)
Le signe en tant que tel ne peut pas être enregistré comme marque de l’Union européenne pour des vêtements comme des tee-shirts

Spin Master Toys UK / EUIPO - Verdes Innovations
Marques de l’Union européenne : le Tribunal confirme l’annulation des marques constituées de la forme du « Rubik’s cube »

Fritz Egger e.a. / ECHA (Mélamine)
La décision de l’Agence européenne des produits chimiques identifiant la mélamine comme substance pouvant avoir des effets graves sur la santé humaine et sur l’environnement est confirmée

Gotek
Fiscalité
Neuf mois après s’être vu confier une compétence en matière de renvoi préjudiciel, le Tribunal de l’Union européenne rend son premier arrêt préjudiciel

The T.M.C. Asser Institute has launched a call for abstracts for the panel Emerging Voices in Private International Law, which will take place as part of Adapting Private International Law in an Era of Uncertainty – Asser Institute 60 Years Series Conference, to be held on 24 October 2025 in The Hague. PhD candidates and […]

Alors que la publication de l’enquête sur « l’accès aux droits et sur les relations entre police et population » par le Défenseur des droits, appelant notamment à modifier le cadre légal de la pratique des contrôles d’identité et à mieux en encadrer la pratique, a été publiée le 24 juin 2025, la France a également été condamnée ce 26 juin par la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme. Elle ne l’a cependant pas été pour la pratique du contrôle au faciès en tant que telle, mais s’agissant de la situation spécifique d’un requérant qui a subi des contrôles discriminatoires.

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L’article R. 211-13, 2°, du code des assurances, dans sa rédaction antérieure au décret du 21 décembre 2023, excluait la garantie de l’assureur en cas d’accident survenu pendant la suspension du contrat pour non-paiement des primes. Cette disposition est contraire aux articles 3, § 1 et 13 de la directive n° 2009/103/CE du Parlement européen et du Conseil du 16 septembre 2009 qui imposent aux États membres d’assurer la couverture obligatoire de tous les véhicules en circulation, afin de garantir une protection effective des victimes d’accidents. Cependant, malgré cette violation, tant la cour d’appel que la deuxième chambre civile, ont jugé que l’assureur n’était pas tenu à garantie. Ce refus s’explique, d’une part, par l’absence d’effet direct vertical inversé des dispositions de la directive et, d’autre part, par l’impossibilité pour le juge national de procéder à une interprétation conforme des dispositions nationales sans en altérer le sens.

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Le recours, prévu par le règlement Bruxelles I, contre une déclaration constatant la force exécutoire d’un jugement d’un État membre n’est pas un appel, bien qu’il soit porté devant la cour d’appel.

Cette déclaration doit être signifiée conformément aux dispositions de l’article 680 du code de procédure civile, qui constitue un principe général.

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Axel Halfmeier (Leuphana University Lüneburg, Germany) has kindly shared the following advertisement for a 3-year PhD scholarship with us, which will be part of a research project on ‘Making private law resilient: The role of private litigation in a democracy’.

The research project will investigate the role of private litigation in a democracy, in particular collective litigation, public interest actions or strategic litigation. There is an ongoing discussion about these phenomena and whether they support deliberative democracy by empowering citizens or are anti-democratic in the sense that they transfer excessive power to the judiciary in political questions. To answer this question, normative (legal doctrine, legal theory, political theory) but also empirical approaches are possible. The project can also focus on specific areas of private law, such as media and data protection law, climate litigation, capital markets or tort law in general. The exact study design will be discussed with a view to the interests and qualifications of the candidate.

Application deadline is October 1st, 2025.

Further information on the ‘Embracing Transformation’ scholarships can be found here.

Further information on the specific research project on ‘Democratic Resilience’ is available here.

Questions may be directed to Axel Halfmeier.

The Faculty of Law at Humboldt University of Berlin is inviting applications for a Junior Professorship in Private Law and Private International Law, to be filled as of 1 October 2026. The successful candidate will engage in teaching and research across private law and private international law, broadly defined – including international family and succession […]

In response to both global and domestic revelations of serious shortcomings in the intercountry adoption system, the Swedish government launched an official inquiry on the matter in October 2021. The objective was to assess past practices and propose legal reforms as well as other appropriate measures. Titled ‘Sweden’s intercountry adoption activities – Lessons learned and […]

On Tuesday, 6 July 2025, 12pm CEST, ConflictofLaws.net will be hosting an ad-hoc virtual roundtable on the Commission’s Brussels Ia Report.

Everyone interested is warmly invited to join via this Zoom link.

More information can be found here.

The establishment of an international chamber in the Paris Commercial Court aimed at competing with and divesting judicial business from the London Commercial Court. As the possibility that the United Kingdom would stop participating in the various instruments of judicial cooperation adopted by the European Union appeared to be increasingly credible, the governments of a […]

Conventions & Instruments

On 17 June 2025, the Republic of Korea deposited its instrument of ratification of the 1993 Adoption Convention. With the ratification of the Republic of Korea, the 1993 Adoption Convention now has 107 Contracting Parties. It will enter into force for the Republic of Korea on 1 October 2025. More information is available here.

On 30 June 2025, Denmark signed the 2007 Child Support Convention and deposited its instrument of approval of the Convention. With the approval of Denmark, 55 States and the European Union are bound by the 2007 Child Support Convention. It will enter into force for Denmark on 1 October 2025. More information is available here.

 

Meetings & Events

On 5 June 2025, the first meeting of the Working Group established to finalise the Good Practices document relevant to the 1965 Service, 1970 Evidence, and 1980 Access to Justice Conventions was held online, hosted by the Permanent Bureau. More information is available here.

On 13 June 2025, the Working Party on Cross-Border Family Mediation in the Context of the Malta Process met online. More information is available here.

From 16 to 18 June 2025, the Experts’ Group on Digital Tokens met for the first time. More information is available here.

From 25 to 27June 2025, HCCH Asia Pacific Week 2025 was held in Seoul, co-hosted by the Republic of Korea and the HCCH. The conference brought together over 400 participants from across Asia and the Pacific and beyond for wide-ranging discussions on the most recent developments relating to the HCCH’s key Conventions and instruments, ongoing normative projects, and possible future work. More information is available here.

 

Other Developments

On 2 June 2025, the Host Seat Agreement between Morocco and the HCCH was signed in Rabat, establishing the Regional Office for Africa of the HCCH. More information is available here.

 

These monthly updates are published by the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), providing an overview of the latest developments. More information and materials are available on the HCCH website.