Jones v Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Jan 07
[2006] UKHL 26, (2007) 1 AC 270, (2006) 2 WLR 1424
A high profile case concerning a state immunity dispute arising out of the allegations of a British citizen, Mr Ronald Jones, (amongst others) that he was tortured whilst held in prison in Saudi Arabia. The Court of Appeal gave an internationally ground-breaking decision denying immunity to individual state officials, but upholding the state’s immunity. Members of Chambers appealed this decision to the House of Lords, with the UK government’s Department of Constitutional Affairs and numerous human rights organisations intervening in the appeals and were successful both on Saudi Arabia’s appeal and in resisting the claimants’ cross-appeal.