Landmark Cases in Private International Law: Godard V Gray and Schibsby V Westenholz (1870)

Faculty of Laws University College London Law Research Paper 01/2024

Folkard, Joshua , and Ian Bergson. 'Godard v Gray and Schibsby v Westenholz (1870).' Landmark Cases in Private International Law. Ed. William Day and Louise Merrett Oxford: Hart Publishing, 2023. 87–108. Landmark Cases. Bloomsbury Collections. Web. 15 Jan. 2024. http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781509952

25 Pages Posted: 16 Jan 2024

See all articles by Joshua Folkard

Joshua Folkard

University College London

Ian Bergson

University of Oxford - Faculty of Law

Date Written: May 1, 2023

Abstract

This chapter considers the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments, and specifically the ‘ obligation theory ’ underpinning the common law rules which clearly emerged in the nineteenth century in the twin cases of Godard v Gray and Schibsby v Westenholz. The chapter is structured as follows: (I) we first address the decisions in Godard and Schibsby and the obligation theory itself; (II) we then put the domestic common law in context and consider developments in other jurisdictions (including most notably Canada), which have diverged from the English approach; (III) we argue that the obligation theory struggles to explain the current positive law of England and Wales; and (IV) we draw the threads together by way of conclusion and draw on our survey of the foreign jurisprudence to reinforce our conclusions on Godard and Schibsby.

Keywords: Recognition, enforcement, foreign judgments, obligation theory

Suggested Citation

Folkard, Joshua and Bergson, Ian, Landmark Cases in Private International Law: Godard V Gray and Schibsby V Westenholz (1870) (May 1, 2023). Faculty of Laws University College London Law Research Paper 01/2024, Folkard, Joshua , and Ian Bergson. 'Godard v Gray and Schibsby v Westenholz (1870).' Landmark Cases in Private International Law. Ed. William Day and Louise Merrett Oxford: Hart Publishing, 2023. 87–108. Landmark Cases. Bloomsbury Collections. Web. 15 Jan. 2024. http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781509952, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4695285 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4695285

Joshua Folkard (Contact Author)

University College London ( email )

Gower Street
London, WC1E 6BT
United Kingdom

Ian Bergson

University of Oxford - Faculty of Law ( email )

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