Table of contents
1. Introduction........................................................................................................................................3
1.1 The concept, nature and development of private international law............................................3
1.2 The sources of private international law......................................................................................3
1.3 The three processes of private international law, and standard ‘connecting factors’..................3
1.3.1 Procedural issues...................................................................................................................3
1.3.2 Application of the law............................................................................................................3
1.4 Characterisation, renvoi and the ‘incidental’ issue or Vorfrage....................................................3
1.5 Forum shopping and forum non conveniens.................................................................................3
1.6 The impact of European law on the private international law of the member states..................4
1.6.1 Legal basis..............................................................................................................................4
1.6.2 The development of European private international law policy............................................4
1.7 Brexit............................................................................................................................................4
1.7.1 The position of the UK vis-à-vis EU private international law prior to Brexit.........................4
1.7.2 The EU-UK withdrawal agreement and private international law.........................................4
1.7.3 The situation post transition..................................................................................................4
1.7.4 Using the book post Brexit.....................................................................................................4
2. The Core of European Private International Law: jurisdiction............................................................5
2.1 Summary.......................................................................................................................................5
2.1.1 The Brussels I Recast Regulation............................................................................................5
2.1.2 Scope of application: subject-matter.....................................................................................5
2.1.3 Scope of application: ratione personae..................................................................................5
2.1.4 The jurisdictional rules of the regulation...............................................................................5
2.2 Detailed review of the Regulation................................................................................................6
2.2.1 Trust is good, control is better...............................................................................................6
2.2.2 Scope of application: subject-matter.....................................................................................6
2.2.3 Exclusions, among which the exclusion of insolvency and arbitration (art. 1 (2))..................7
2.2.4 Scope of application – ratione personae................................................................................8
2.2.5 The international impact of the regulation............................................................................8
2.2.6 The jurisdictional rules of the regulation: a matrix................................................................8
2.2.7 Exclusive jurisdiction, regardless of domicile (art. 24)...........................................................9
2.2.8 Jurisdiction by appearance/prorogation (art. 26)................................................................11
2.2.9 Insurance, consumer and employment contracts (art. 10-23).............................................12
2.2.10 Agreements on jurisdiction (‘choice of forum’ or ‘prorogation of jurisdiction’) (art. 25)...15
1
,2.2.11 General jurisdiction: defendants domiciled in a member state where a court is seized (art.
4)..................................................................................................................................................18
2.2.12 ‘Special’ jurisdiction: defendants domiciled in another member state (art. 7-9)...............18
2.2.13 Multipartite litigation and consolidated claims (art. 8 and 9)............................................24
2.2.14 ‘Residual’ jurisdiction: defendants not domiciled in any member state (art. 6)................26
2.2.15 Loss of jurisdiction: lis alibi pendens and related actions (art. 29-34)................................26
2.2.16 Applications for provisional or protective measures (art. 35)............................................30
2.2.17 Recognition and enforcement...........................................................................................31
2
,1. Introduction
1.1 The concept, nature and development of private international
law
See the skeleton document for this first introduction chapter (and beginning of second chapter)
1.2 The sources of private international law
1.3 The three processes of private international law, and standard
‘connecting factors’
1.3.1 Procedural issues
1.3.2 Application of the law
Gleichlauf = the court with jurisdiction (the forum) applies its own law
In many PIL issues there is no gleichlauf, but in libel cases there is ( libel shopping) and
privacy cases
1.3.2.1 Characterisation (French: qualification) of the legal
question
Putting the facts in a legal category to which a choice of law rule may be applied
≈ Mail room sorter: the judge puts the facts into a certain pigeon hole which will lead to the
parcel being delivered on one or other doorstep
1.3.2.2 Connecting factor
Which legal system connects most closely with this category of legal questions
Personal connecting factors (e.g. domicile, residence, nationality) >< causal connecting
factors (e.g. lex domicilii, lex contractus, lex loci contractus, lex loci actus, lex delicti, lex loci
delicti commissi, lex damni, lex situs, lex loci celebrationis, lex incorpoationis, lex protectionis)
1.3.2.3 Lex Causae
Substantive law of the legal system identified by step 2
1.4 Characterisation, renvoi and the ‘incidental’ issue or Vorfrage
Vorfrage = it may be that national law has determined which applicable law is connected to a given
legal category, however, before one may apply it, one needs to decide on the actual existence of the
category in the facts at issue (e.g. a couple wants to marry, but one of them first needs to divorce
their previous partner) the applicable law can differ for the two categories, so should the judge
apply the same law to both issues (the law that applies to the main issue) or should he do the
qualification and applicable law exercise twice?
Ogden v. Ogden
Schwebel v. Ungar
In practice the judge will apply the same law and the parties don’t object to that due to the
potential of a huge complication of having to apply two different laws
1.5 Forum shopping and forum non conveniens
Can lead to excessive/exorbitant/parochial jurisdiction: the court that establishes jurisdiction has
extremely little anchor points with the case
3
, 1.6 The impact of European law on the private international law of
the member states
1.6.1 Legal basis
1.6.2 The development of European private international law policy
1.7 Brexit
1.7.1 The position of the UK vis-à-vis EU private international law prior to
Brexit
1.7.2 The EU-UK withdrawal agreement and private international law
1.7.3 The situation post transition
1.7.3.1 At the level of jurisdiction and recognition
1.7.3.2 At the level of applicable law
1.7.4 Using the book post Brexit
4
1. Introduction........................................................................................................................................3
1.1 The concept, nature and development of private international law............................................3
1.2 The sources of private international law......................................................................................3
1.3 The three processes of private international law, and standard ‘connecting factors’..................3
1.3.1 Procedural issues...................................................................................................................3
1.3.2 Application of the law............................................................................................................3
1.4 Characterisation, renvoi and the ‘incidental’ issue or Vorfrage....................................................3
1.5 Forum shopping and forum non conveniens.................................................................................3
1.6 The impact of European law on the private international law of the member states..................4
1.6.1 Legal basis..............................................................................................................................4
1.6.2 The development of European private international law policy............................................4
1.7 Brexit............................................................................................................................................4
1.7.1 The position of the UK vis-à-vis EU private international law prior to Brexit.........................4
1.7.2 The EU-UK withdrawal agreement and private international law.........................................4
1.7.3 The situation post transition..................................................................................................4
1.7.4 Using the book post Brexit.....................................................................................................4
2. The Core of European Private International Law: jurisdiction............................................................5
2.1 Summary.......................................................................................................................................5
2.1.1 The Brussels I Recast Regulation............................................................................................5
2.1.2 Scope of application: subject-matter.....................................................................................5
2.1.3 Scope of application: ratione personae..................................................................................5
2.1.4 The jurisdictional rules of the regulation...............................................................................5
2.2 Detailed review of the Regulation................................................................................................6
2.2.1 Trust is good, control is better...............................................................................................6
2.2.2 Scope of application: subject-matter.....................................................................................6
2.2.3 Exclusions, among which the exclusion of insolvency and arbitration (art. 1 (2))..................7
2.2.4 Scope of application – ratione personae................................................................................8
2.2.5 The international impact of the regulation............................................................................8
2.2.6 The jurisdictional rules of the regulation: a matrix................................................................8
2.2.7 Exclusive jurisdiction, regardless of domicile (art. 24)...........................................................9
2.2.8 Jurisdiction by appearance/prorogation (art. 26)................................................................11
2.2.9 Insurance, consumer and employment contracts (art. 10-23).............................................12
2.2.10 Agreements on jurisdiction (‘choice of forum’ or ‘prorogation of jurisdiction’) (art. 25)...15
1
,2.2.11 General jurisdiction: defendants domiciled in a member state where a court is seized (art.
4)..................................................................................................................................................18
2.2.12 ‘Special’ jurisdiction: defendants domiciled in another member state (art. 7-9)...............18
2.2.13 Multipartite litigation and consolidated claims (art. 8 and 9)............................................24
2.2.14 ‘Residual’ jurisdiction: defendants not domiciled in any member state (art. 6)................26
2.2.15 Loss of jurisdiction: lis alibi pendens and related actions (art. 29-34)................................26
2.2.16 Applications for provisional or protective measures (art. 35)............................................30
2.2.17 Recognition and enforcement...........................................................................................31
2
,1. Introduction
1.1 The concept, nature and development of private international
law
See the skeleton document for this first introduction chapter (and beginning of second chapter)
1.2 The sources of private international law
1.3 The three processes of private international law, and standard
‘connecting factors’
1.3.1 Procedural issues
1.3.2 Application of the law
Gleichlauf = the court with jurisdiction (the forum) applies its own law
In many PIL issues there is no gleichlauf, but in libel cases there is ( libel shopping) and
privacy cases
1.3.2.1 Characterisation (French: qualification) of the legal
question
Putting the facts in a legal category to which a choice of law rule may be applied
≈ Mail room sorter: the judge puts the facts into a certain pigeon hole which will lead to the
parcel being delivered on one or other doorstep
1.3.2.2 Connecting factor
Which legal system connects most closely with this category of legal questions
Personal connecting factors (e.g. domicile, residence, nationality) >< causal connecting
factors (e.g. lex domicilii, lex contractus, lex loci contractus, lex loci actus, lex delicti, lex loci
delicti commissi, lex damni, lex situs, lex loci celebrationis, lex incorpoationis, lex protectionis)
1.3.2.3 Lex Causae
Substantive law of the legal system identified by step 2
1.4 Characterisation, renvoi and the ‘incidental’ issue or Vorfrage
Vorfrage = it may be that national law has determined which applicable law is connected to a given
legal category, however, before one may apply it, one needs to decide on the actual existence of the
category in the facts at issue (e.g. a couple wants to marry, but one of them first needs to divorce
their previous partner) the applicable law can differ for the two categories, so should the judge
apply the same law to both issues (the law that applies to the main issue) or should he do the
qualification and applicable law exercise twice?
Ogden v. Ogden
Schwebel v. Ungar
In practice the judge will apply the same law and the parties don’t object to that due to the
potential of a huge complication of having to apply two different laws
1.5 Forum shopping and forum non conveniens
Can lead to excessive/exorbitant/parochial jurisdiction: the court that establishes jurisdiction has
extremely little anchor points with the case
3
, 1.6 The impact of European law on the private international law of
the member states
1.6.1 Legal basis
1.6.2 The development of European private international law policy
1.7 Brexit
1.7.1 The position of the UK vis-à-vis EU private international law prior to
Brexit
1.7.2 The EU-UK withdrawal agreement and private international law
1.7.3 The situation post transition
1.7.3.1 At the level of jurisdiction and recognition
1.7.3.2 At the level of applicable law
1.7.4 Using the book post Brexit
4
