On 25 March 2026, the UK Supreme Court issued an important judgment in the case of UniCredit Bank GmbH, London Branch v Constitution Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) / Celestial Aviation Services Ltd [2026] UKSC 10, confirming that a key aspect of the UK’s sanctions framework (namely, the prohibition on providing financial services or funds in pursuance of or in connection with trade in prohibited goods and services) should be interpreted very broadly. The judgment will have far-reaching…
On 11 June 2024, the UK Court of Appeal handed down its judgment in the case of Celestial Aviation Services Limited v UniCredit Bank GmbH (London Branch) [2024] EWCA Civ 628. In summary, the Court of Appeal determined that, in the context of payment obligations under standby letters of credit (“LCs”), sanctions measures relating to financing the supply of restricted items can apply retrospectively as well as prospectively, significantly widening the scope of application of…