The UK Government has signed up to the Hague 2019 Convention,
which means other countries will more easily recognise and
enforce UK court judgments in cross-border disputes – sparing
firms from costly and repetitive court battles.
Currently, if a UK business wins a case in a UK court against a
company based in another country, business leaders face the
threat of time-consuming enforcement processes or even identical
legal action overseas for the same dispute – causing delays,
increasing costs and creating confusion to the consumer.
The new rules will provide a simpler enforcement route to
existing complex systems, giving one clear consistent set of
shared rules – that the UK helped shape – making the process
easier for everyone.
Streamlining the process will save businesses time and money,
encourage foreign companies to use the UK's world-class lawyers
and courts to settle their disputes and grow the economy overall.
Justice Minister, , said:
This Convention delivers real benefits for British businesses
dealing with international disputes.
As part of our Plan for Change we're boosting UK firms'
confidence to trade by minimising legal costs and ensuring
justice across borders, all while cementing Britain's role as a
global legal powerhouse committed to the rule of law.
The Convention will enhance international legal collaboration. It
will apply to judgments in civil and commercial matters,
strengthening the UK's position as a global hub for dispute
resolution.
The 2019 Hague Convention is already being applied by 29 parties,
from Ukraine to EU countries, with Uruguay joining last year.
This means UK civil and commercial judgments will be recognised
and enforced in these nations and that the UK will recognise
judgments made in their courts.
With 91 members of the Hague Conference on Private International
Law (HCCH), a major multilateral forum for private international
law rules which has produced numerous conventions including the
2019 Hague Convention, Hague 2019 has a potentially global
reach.
The Convention will apply to judgments given in proceedings that
commence on or after 1 July 2025 across the entire United Kingdom
or in other participating countries.
