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NLJ this week: Hague 2019 enters force—but will it deliver consistency?

11 July 2025
Issue: 8124 / Categories: Legal News , Commercial , Jurisdiction , Dispute resolution , International
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In this week’s NLJ, Ben Roe of Baker McKenzie explores the UK’s adoption of the Hague Judgments Convention 2019, which came into force on 1 July

The convention simplifies cross-border enforcement of civil and commercial judgments, plugging post-Brexit gaps left by the Brussels and Lugano regimes. Hague 2019 complements Hague 2005 (on jurisdiction clauses) and introduces a new CPR 74.4(7) process for registration.

However, Roe warns of challenges: the convention excludes key areas like IP, family law, and arbitration, and relies on ‘indirect jurisdictional filters’ that may be inconsistently applied. Without a central interpretive body like the CJEU, national courts may diverge on key definitions, risking fragmentation. Article 29 opt-outs could further erode multilateralism.

While the convention is a step forward, its success hinges on judicial coherence and broader international uptake—especially from the US, which has signed but not ratified. 

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Muckle LLP—Stacey Brown

Muckle LLP—Stacey Brown

Corporate governance and company law specialist joins the team

Excello Law—Heather Horsewood & Darren Barwick

Excello Law—Heather Horsewood & Darren Barwick

North west team expands with senior private client and property hires

Ward Hadaway—Paul Wigham

Ward Hadaway—Paul Wigham

Firm boosts corporate team in Newcastle to support high-growth technology businesses

NEWS

NOTICE UNDER THE TRUSTEE ACT 1925

HERBERT SMITH STAFF PENSION SCHEME (THE “SCHEME”)

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND BENEFICIARIES UNDER SECTION 27 OF THE TRUSTEE ACT 1925
Law firm HFW is offering clients lawyers on call for dawn raids, sanctions issues and other regulatory emergencies
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Non-molestation orders are meant to be the frontline defence against domestic abuse, yet their enforcement often falls short. Writing in NLJ this week, Jeni Kavanagh, Jessica Mortimer and Oliver Kavanagh analyse why the criminalisation of breach has failed to deliver consistent protection
Assisted dying remains one of the most fraught fault lines in English law, where compassion and criminal liability sit uncomfortably close. Writing in NLJ this week, Julie Gowland and Barny Croft of Birketts examine how acts motivated by care—booking travel, completing paperwork, or offering emotional support—can still fall within the wide reach of the Suicide Act 1961
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