Adrian Briggs

Adrian Briggs combines practice at the Bar with being Professor of Private International Law at the University of Oxford.  His practice is dominated by advisory work, especially on all aspects of private international law, but with particular emphasis on the law on jurisdiction and the enforcement of foreign judgments. He is frequently instructed to give expert evidence, in the context of proceedings before foreign courts (in particular in Australia, Canada, and the United States, but also in the Netherlands and Switzerland) on questions of English private international law, such as whether judgments or settlements in foreign proceedings would be regarded as conclusive in England, on whether causes of action pleaded before foreign courts could be asserted in English proceedings, on how English courts would interpret particular jurisdiction clauses, and so on. 

His writing and research in private international law takes two forms. As a member of the editorial team working under the General Editorship of Lord Collins of Mapesbury on Dicey Morris & Collins, The Conflict of Laws, he is required to produce an account of the law which is wholly and completely faithful to what the statutes say and the cases have said. In his writing in other contexts, he is able to explore the strengths and weaknesses of the law and to probe where and how it may develop.  The two streams of thinking are brought together in his Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments, now in its fifth edition.

Publications

Books: 

• Dicey, Morris & Collins, The Conflict of Laws (14th edn, 2006), and cumulative supplements: one of six editors under the general editorship of Lord Collins of Mapesbury: the 15th edition is in preparation for publication in 2012.
• Briggs & Rees: Civil Jurisdiction & Judgments (Lloyds of London Press, 1993) (as author; edited by Peter Rees).  Second edition, 1997; third edition, 2002; fourth edition, 2005; fifth edition, 2009.
• Briggs: Agreements on Jurisdiction and Choice of Law (Oxford University Press, 2008).
• Briggs: The Conflict of Laws (Clarendon Press, 2002); Second edition, 2008.
• English Private Law (ed Birks, Oxford, 2000): Chapter 17, Private International Law; Second edition (ed Burrows, 2007): Chapter 20, Private International Law. (The third edition is in preparation for publication in 2012-13).

Articles and surveys:

a) Conflict of jurisdictions: common law:

• Forum non satis: Spiliada and an inconvenient truth: [2011] LMCLQ 329
• Foreign Judgments: the common law flexes its muscles: (2011) 17 Trusts & Trustees 328
• Recognition: foreign judgments or insolvency proceedings? [2010] LMCLQ 523
• Enforcing and reinforcing an English judgment: [2008] LMCLQ 421
• Note on Fiona Trust v Privalov:[2008] LMCLQ 1
• Recognition and enforcement of Russian Judgments in England: Vyestnik 2006, Part 3, 77
• Foreign Judgments and Human Rights: note on USA v Montgomery: (2005) 121 LQR 185
• Crossing the river by feeling the stones: re-thinking the law on foreign judgments: (2004) 8 Singapore Year Book of International Law 1
• Anti-suit injunctions in a Complex World: Chapter 12 of Lex Mercatoria: Essays in International Commercial Law, ed. Rose (2000)
• Self-restraint in the High Court of Australia: (1998) 114 LQR 27
• The unrestrained reach of an anti-suit injunction: [1997] LMCLQ 90
• Note on Seaconsar v Bank Markazi: [1994] LMCLQ 1
• Note on The Indian Grace: [1993] LMCLQ 451
• Jurisdiction clauses and judicial attitudes: (1993) 109 LQR 382
• Foreign judgments: more surprises: (1992) 108 LQR 549
• Forum non conveniens in Australia: (1989) 105 LQR 200
• Wider still and wider: the bounds of Australian exorbitant jurisdiction: [1989] LMCLQ 216
• Restraint of foreign proceedings: [1987] LMCLQ 391
• Which foreign judgments should we recognise today?: (1987) 36 ICLQ 240
• Forum non conveniens: the last word?: [1987] LMCLQ 1
• The validity of floating choice of law and jurisdiction clauses: [1986] LMCLQ 508
• Forum non conveniens: an update: [1985] LMCLQ 360
• The staying of actions on the ground of forum non conveniens: [1984] LMCLQ 227
• Forum non conveniens: now we are ten?: (1983) 3 Legal Studies 74
• No interference with foreign courts?: (1982) 31 ICLQ 189

b) Conflict of Jurisdictions: Brussels Convention and Brussels I Regulation:

• What should be done about jurisdiction agreements?: (2011) 12 Yearbook of Private International Law 311
• Timeo danaos on the Rock of Gibraltar: (2010) 126 LQR 20
• Fear and Loathing in Luxembourg and Syracuse (note on West Tankers): [2009] LMCLQ 161
• Who is bound by the Brussels Regulation? (note on Samengo-Turner): [2007] LMCLQ 433
• Jurisdiction over defences and connected claims: [2006] LMCLQ 447
• Learning to learn from others in Europe (with B. Dohmann QC): Festschrift für Peter Schlosser zum 70.  Geburtstag, p.161
• Note on Réunion Européenne: [1999] LMCLQ 333
• The Impact of Recent Judgments of the European Court on English Procedural Law and Practice: [2005] Zeitschrift für Schweizerisches Recht (2005) 124 II 231
• Forum non conveniens and Ideal Europeans: [2005] LMCLQ 378
• Note on Owusu v Jackson: (2005) 121 LQR 535
• Anti-suit Injunctions and Utopian Ideals (note on Turner v Grovit): (2004) 120 LQR 529
• Some points of friction between English and Brussels Convention jurisdiction: Andenas & Jacobs (eds), European Community Law in the English Courts, Ch 19.
• Note on Pearce v Ove Arup and Suzo v Coin Controls: (1997) 113 LQR 360
• Note on Marinari v Lloyd’s Bank: [1996] LMCLQ 27
• Note on The Tatry: [1995] LMCLQ 161
• Note on The Sargasso: [1994] LMCLQ 470
• Note on Webb v Webb: (1994) 110 LQR 526
• Note on Continental Bank v Aeakos: [1994] LMCLQ 158
• Get your writs out? (Note on The Duke of Yare): [1992] LMCLQ 150
• Jurisdiction over restitutionary claims: [1992] LMCLQ 283
• The Brussels Convention reaches the House of Lords: (1992) 108 LQR 186
• Foreign judgments and the Brussels Convention: (1991) 107 LQR 531
• Forum non conveniens and the Brussels Convention again: (1991) 107 LQR 180
• Spiliada and the Brussels Convention: [1991] LMCLQ 10
• Survey of cases on the Brussels Convention in the Court of Justice of the EC:
  1997: (1997) 17 Yearbook of European Law 515
  1996: (1996) 16 Yearbook of European Law 601
  1995: (1995) 15 Yearbook of European Law 487
  1994: (1994) 14 Yearbook of European Law 557
  1993: (1993) 13 Yearbook of European Law 511
  1992: (1992) 12 Yearbook of European Law 657
  1991: (1991) 11 Yearbook of European Law 521
  1990: (1990) 10 Yearbook of European Law 481
  1989: (1989) 9 Yearbook of European Law 323
  1988: (1988) 8 Yearbook of European Law 265

c) Conflict of laws:

• Comity in Private International Law: (2012) 354 Recueil des cours 1-129 (Hague Lectures, 2011)
• The Development of Principle by a Final Court of Appeal in Matters of Private International Law, in Lee (ed) From House of Lords to Supreme Court (2011)
• Restitution and not-so-local authority swaps (with J Edelman): (2010) 126 LQR 500
• When in Rome, choose as the Romans choose: (2009) 125 LQR 191
• Misappropriated and Misapplied Assets in the Conflict of Laws: in Degeling & Edelman (eds) Unjust Enrichment in Commercial Law, 2008
• Contractual Agreements on choice of law: in Burrows & Peel (eds), Contract Terms (Oxford, 2007), Chapter 15
• A Map or a Maze: Jurisdiction and choice of law in the Court of Appeal: (2007) 11 Singapore Year Book of International Law 13
• The cost of suppressing insurrection: (2007) 123 LQR 182
• The further consequences of choice of law: (2007) 123 LQR 18
• The Meaning and Proof of Foreign Law: [2006] LMCLQ 1
• On the Application of the Statute Law of Singapore within its Private International Law: [2005] Sing JLS 189
• Public-private law protective schemes and the conflict of laws: [2004] LMCLQ 313
• Owing, owning and the garnishing of foreign debts: [2003] LMCLQ 418
• On drafting agreements on choice of law: [2003] LMCLQ 389
• The real scope of European rules for choice of law: (2003) 119 LQR 352
• The Duke of Brunswick and defamation by internet: (2003) 119 LQR 210
• Choice of Choice of Law: [2003] LMCLQ 12
• Public Policy in the Conflict of Laws: A Sword and a Shield?: (2002) 6 Sing J. Int & Comp L. 953
• The Revenue Rule in the Conflict of Laws: Time for a makeover: [2001] Singapore J.L.S. 280
• Jurisdiction at common law over restitutionary claims: Rose (ed), Restitution & The Conflict of Laws, Ch 2
• In praise and defence of renvoi: (1998) 47 ICLQ 877
• From complexity to anti-climax: restitution and choice of law: [1996] Rest. L.R. 88
• Choice of law in restitutionary claims: [1995] Rest. L.R. 94
• Choice of law in Tort and Delict: The Private International Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1995: [1995] LMCLQ 519
• The international dimension to contribution claims: [1995] LMCLQ 437
• Note on Red Sea Insurance v Bouygues: (1995) 111 LQR 18
• The formation of international contracts: [1990] LMCLQ 192
• Conflict of laws: postponing the future: (1989) 9 Ox JLS 251
• Tort in the conflict of laws: (1989) 105 LQR 359
• Garnishment of an English debt: foreign complications: [1988] LMCLQ 429
• What did Boys v Chaplin decide?: (1983) 12 Anglo-Am LR 237
• Polygamous marriages and English domiciliaries: (1983) 32 ICLQ 737

d) Decisions of British Courts on questions of Private International Law:

• 2009: (2009) 80 British Year Book of International Law 575
• 2008: (2008) 79 British Year Book of International Law 501
• 2007: (2007) 78 British Year Book of International Law 588
• 2006: (2006) 77 British Year Book of International Law 641
• 2005: (2005) 76 British Year Book of International Law 537
• 2004: (2004) 75 British Year Book of International Law 537
• 2003: (2003) 74 British Year Book of International Law 511
• 2002: (2002) 73 British Year Book of International Law 435
• 2001: (2001) 72 British Year Book of International Law 437
• 2000: (2000) 71 British Year Book of International Law 331
• 1999: (1999) 70 British Year Book of International Law 319
• 1998: (1998) 69 British Year Book of International Law 332
• 1997: (1997) 68 British Year Book of International Law 331
• 1996: (1996) 67 British Year Book of International Law 577

Interesting cases:

• Antonio Gramsci v Stepanovs [2011] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 647
• Deutsche Bank v APBW [2008] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 619
• Lewis v Eliades [2004] 1 WLR 692
• Base Metal Trading Ltd v Shamurin [2002] CLC 322
• Sarrio SA v Kuwait Investment Authority [1999] 1 AC 32
• Haji-Ioannou v Frangos [1999] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 337
• Kleinwort Benson v City of Glasgow DC [1996] QB 678
• Boss Group Limited v Boss France SA [1996] 4 All ER 970
• Case C-68/93 Shevill v Presse Alliance [1995] ECR I–415
• Case C-432/93 SISRO v Ampersand [1995] ECR I–2217
• Kinnear v Falconfilms [1994] 3 All ER 42
• The Sargasso [1994] 3 All ER 180 at 189
• Spiliada v Cansulex [1987] AC 460 at 488

Other Information:

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