Anti-suit Injunctions at Crossroads: Navigating Unique Jurisdictions

Anti-suit injunctions are typically treated differently in common law and civil law jurisdictions. While common law jurisdictions may favour anti-suit injunctions as enforcing the parties’ agreement to arbitrate, civil law jurisdictions are generally concerned that anti-suit injunctions risk interfering with the jurisdiction of foreign court proceedings. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), where common law and civil law jurisdictions intersect, presents a unique example. The on-shore UAE courts apply civil law while the off-shore Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) Courts apply common law, bringing a new dynamic to the availability and enforcement of anti-suit injunctions. The interaction of these courts and the fine balance achieved has resulted in remarkable developments in the UAE. However, both in the UAE and further afield, certain challenging issues such as interim anti-suit injunctions, interim measures filed in parallel court proceedings, and anti-suit injunctions against third parties related to the dispute serve to test this balance. Nevertheless, with new developments in the region, a positive attitude appears to have emerged on the availability of anti-suit injunctions, opening it up to potential advancements as the jurisprudence continues to evolve. anti-suit injunctions, arbitration, foreign court proceedings, UAE, arbitration agreement, enforcement