Le Bien, Le Mal: A Tale of Contactless Anti-suit Injunctions and Foreign Arbitral Seats - Journal of International Arbitration View Le Bien, Le Mal: A Tale of Contactless Anti-suit Injunctions and Foreign Arbitral Seats by - Journal of International Arbitration Le Bien, Le Mal: A Tale of Contactless Anti-suit Injunctions and Foreign Arbitral Seats 42 2

Under English law, the arbitration agreement gives rise to an actionable right to restrain breach through an anti-suit injunction (ASI). While an ASI is readily available in cases where the seat of arbitration is in England, until recently the question as to whether the same relief could be obtained in support of foreign-seated arbitrations had remained uncertain. This issue was raised for the first time in a series of recent cases in which the English High Court issued divergent decisions. Nevertheless, before the Court of Appeal the prevailing position was that, provided personal jurisdiction over the defendant is established under Part 6 of the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR), an ASI will generally be granted irrespective of the foreign seat and despite the absence of a stronger geographical nexus with England and Wales. The UK Supreme Court (UKSC) upheld the ASI but found it unnecessary to express a view on the proposition as to whether personal jurisdiction was a sufficient condition for relief. This article asserts that the proposition is both consistent with previous authority, and in conformity with comity and international law in general. More broadly, the decisions shed light on the basis and contours of ASI as a form of equitable relief, which is meant to correct the injustice arising from the breach of legally binding promises not to submit disputes arising under an arbitration agreement to other fora.

Journal of International Arbitration