06 February 2014
Conocophillips China Inc v Greka Energy (International) BV & another company [2013] EWHC 2733 (Comm), [2014] All ER (D) 207 (Jan)
It was established law that when the court was asked to grant a freezing order to support relief granted under s 101 of the Arbitration Act 1996, the principles were the same as those under s 25 of the Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments Act 1982. Where the defendant was neither resident within the jurisdiction nor someone over whom the court assumed in personam jurisdiction, the court would only grant a worldwide freezing order in exceptional circumstances. There had to be a real connecting link, it had to be appropriate for the English court to act as international policeman, and it had to be just and expedient.
