Jurisdiction — Territorial — Acts of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment committed abroad by foreign official — Claims for damages by victims under Alien Tort Claims Act — Whether Section 1350 of Alien Tort Claims Act establishes private right of action — The law of the United States

Diplomatic relations — Immunity — Diplomatic agent — Immunity from civil proceedings — Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 — Article 31(1)(c) — Proceedings brought by domestic servant in relation to employment — Whether contract of employment with domestic servant a “commercial activity” — The law of the United States

International organizations — United Nations — Member of national delegation to United Nations — Whether presence in United States to attend United Nations session vests individual with immunity from suit

Jurisdiction — Acts of genocide and torture — Whether within jurisdiction of United States courts — Acts by unofficial Hutu political leader against Tutsi population in Rwanda — Acts committed in coordinated campaign of genocide with Government — United States Alien Tort Act vesting subject-matter jurisdiction in respect of all acts of genocide — United States Torture Victim Protection Act — Requirement that acts of torture and summary execution not constituting genocide be performed by State actor or under “color of law” — The law of the United States

Claims — Local remedies rule — Expropriation — Applicants seeking compensation — Whether claims to be pursued on governmental or individual basis — Ugandan Government requiring exhaustion of local remedies — Whether requirement according to international law — Whether Secretary of State misdirecting himself as to international law

Diplomatic relations — United Kingdom Government breaking off relations with Uganda in July 1976 — Efforts in pursuing diplomatic claims suspended — Restoration of diplomatic relations in April 1979 — Resumption of efforts regarding claims

Governments — Fundamental change of government — Overthrow of President Amin's Government in Uganda — Overthrow of President Obote's Government — Assurances from new Government of Uganda that it would honour commitments regarding compensation to British nationals — Establishment of stable administration to advantage of claimants — Requirement of time — Whether change of situation rendering appeal irrelevant

Relationship of international law and municipal law — Conduct of foreign relations — Decision of Secretary of State not to pursue claims for compensation on government-to-government basis — Decision concerning United Kingdom Government’s conduct of international relations — Exercise of prerogative power — Whether reviewable by courts — Ramifications for international relations demanding extreme caution — The law of England

Treaties — Spain-United Kingdom Air Services Agreement, 1950 — Spanish Government deleting proposed new British Airways flights from schedule — Countermeasures by United Kingdom Secretary of State — Whether acting in breach of treaty — Article 59(1) of Air Navigation Order 1980 — Whether Secretary of State justified in varying applicants’ operating permission — Applicants seeking judicial review

Relationship of international law and municipal law — Treaties — Implementation — Effect in municipal courts — Alleged breach of treaty by Spanish Government — Whether municipal court entitled to construe treaty — Whether treaty confined in its effect to international sphere — Whether incorporation of treaty into municipal law necessary — The law of England

Governments — Change of government — Action by new government to recover property allegedly embezzled by former Head of State — Duty of courts in other States to cooperate in preventing removal of assets from reach of courts

Jurisdiction — Territorial — Injunction restraining defendants from dealing with assets — Whether court in one State empowered to grant injunction regarding foreign defendant’s dealings with property situated outside State — The law of England

War and armed conflict — Civil war — Insurrection — Civil strife in Mozambique — Whether Renamo Movement engaging in civil war, rebellion or insurrection against Frelimo government — Relevance of support from South Africa — Whether strife internal and spontaneous — Whether Renamo having clear aim to overthrow Frelimo by violent means notwithstanding external support — Whether aim political — Whether long term strategy necessary — Relevance of terror tactics — Whether sufficient popular support — Whether attacks on plaintiffs’ pipeline and oil tank forming part of insurrection against Frelimo government — Whether losses caused by civil war, rebellion or insurrection — Meaning of these terms in insurance policy — The law of England

State immunity — Attachment and execution — Garnishee order in respect of bank account — Ownership of debt — Whether property of Commission of European Communities

Relationship of international law and municipal law — Treaties — Whether giving rise to private rights under municipal law — Lomé Convention — English law of trusts — Whether relationship between sovereign entities governed by international treaty capable of giving rise to trust under English law — Whether European Commission having equitable interest in funds granted to State under Lomé Convention — Funds subject to garnishee order to satisfy judgment debt of recipient State — Whether attachment of funds would interfere with any equitable interest of Commission — The law of England

Relationship of international law and municipal law — Customary international law — Doctrine of incorporation — Primacy of statute over rule of customary international law — State immunity

State immunity — Jurisdictional immunity — Claim against State for torture allegedly committed by State officials — Acts of torture allegedly committed in Kuwait and United Kingdom by agents of Kuwaiti Government — Whether English courts having jurisdiction in respect of torture committed in Kuwait being acts in violation of international law — State immunity governed by statute — Whether explicit provision required in statute to establish exception to immunity — Tortious acts committed within jurisdiction — Standard of proof required to establish exception to immunity — Balance of probabilities — State Immunity Act 1978, Sections 1 and 5 — The law of England

Aliens — Refugees — Criteria for refugee status — Duty of non-refoulement — Well-founded fear of persecution — Applicant claiming threat to life or freedom on account of political opinions if returned to Algeria — Applicant associated with movement seeking to overthrow the Government of Algeria — Concept of a “serious non-political crime” — Definition — Crime motivated by political considerations but indiscriminate in character — Whether non-political — Acts of terrorism — Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, 1951, Article 1F(b)

War and armed conflict — Terrorism — Concept of terrorism in international law — Definition — Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of Terrorism, 1937 — Contemporary relevance — Conflict in Algeria — Attacks conducted using indiscriminate means — Whether terrorist offences — Whether “serious non-political crimes” — The law of England

State immunity — Jurisdictional immunity — Employment — Employment at foreign embassy — Termination of employment — Action for unfair dismissal — Waiver of immunity — Scope — Applicant seeking leave to amend application in order to add new complaint — Whether defendant State entitled to resist amendment on ground it would not have waived immunity in respect of new complaint — The law of England

State immunity — Jurisdictional immunity — Employment — Exception to immunity in respect of certain contracts of employment — United Kingdom State Immunity Act 1978, Section 4 — Scope of application — Whether extending to applicant for employment where no contract for employment actually concluded — Allegation of racial discrimination — The law of England

International organizations — Immunities — Whether entitled to immunity from suit in respect of alleged unlawful racial discrimination in rejecting application for employment — European Bank for Reconstruction and Development — Whether selection of staff an official activity — Scope of immunity — International Organizations Act 1968 — The law of England

State immunity — Jurisdictional immunity — Waiver — Claim for unfair dismissal by former employee of unit of Nigerian High Commission — Diplomatic note setting out reasons for dismissal and uncompleted notice of appearance form sent to Foreign and Commonwealth Office by High Commission with request to transmit to “appropriate authority” — Documents forwarded to industrial tribunal by FCO — Whether documents constitute notice of appearance — Whether a step taken in proceedings constituting submission to jurisdiction — Whether FCO empowered to enter appearance on behalf of mission of foreign sovereign State — The law of England

State immunity — Jurisdictional immunity — Employment — Employment at foreign embassy — Employee bringing claim for unfair dismissal — Whether State immune from suit

Human rights — Right to determination of civil rights by court — State immunity — Action by former State employee — Whether immunity from suit of foreign State a violation of employee's human rights — European Convention on Human Rights, 1950 — Effect in English law — The law of England

State immunity — Jurisdictional immunity — Employment — Employment at foreign embassy — Employees bringing claim for unfair dismissal — Whether State immune from suit — Immunity in respect of employment of “members of a mission” — Scope of immunity — Definition of member of a mission — Administrative and technical staff — Locally employed persons working at embassy — Whether members of the administrative and technical staff — Distinction between State immunity and diplomatic immunity — Procedure — Application by State for leave to appeal out of time — Whether State litigant entitled to privileges — United Kingdom State Immunity Act, Sections 1, 4 and 16

Diplomatic relations — Diplomatic mission — Members of mission — Administrative and technical staff — Locally employed persons working at embassy — Whether entitled to diplomatic privileges and immunities — Whether members of the mission — Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961, Article 1 — United Kingdom Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964 and State Immunity Act 1978 — The law of England

State immunity — Attachment and execution — Jurisdictional immunity — Distinction between adjudicatory and enforcement jurisdiction — Jurisdiction founded upon foreign State's ownership of property within the territorial jurisdiction — Property used solely for consular purposes — Whether inability to attach such property to enforce judgment precludes exercise by court of its adjudicatory jurisdiction — State Immunity Act 1978, Section 13(6)(b) — Whether only operating after judgment given against foreign State — The law of Scotland

State immunity — Jurisdictional immunity — State entity — Former State enterprise — Enterprise transformed into joint stock company with majority of shares held by private individuals — State retaining minority shares and control over management — Arrest of ship owned by company — Whether company entitled to State immunity in respect of ship

State succession — Treaties — Russian Federation — United Kingdom State Immunity (Merchant Shipping) (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) Order 1978 granting immunity from arrest in respect of ships owned by USSR and used for commercial purposes — Distinction between succession to privileges under treaties and succession to privileges under Order — Whether ship owned by Russian Federation can be regarded as ship owned by USSR for purposes of Order — The law of Scotland