À partir du 1er juillet 2025, suite à sa ratification en juin 2024, le Royaume-Uni devient officiellement partie contractante au 2019 Convention de La Haye sur la reconnaissance et l'exécution des jugements étrangers en matière civile ou commerciale.
This marks a key milestone in the UK’s post-Brexit legal landscape, strengthening cross-border cooperation and simplifying the enforcement of court judgments between the UK, the EU, and other signatory states.
Qu'est-ce que la Convention de La Haye sur les jugements ?
The 2019 Hague Convention provides a uniform legal framework for recognising and enforcing civil et commercial judgments across member countries. It eliminates the need to re-litigate cases in foreign jurisdictions, allowing judgments issued in one country to be enforced in another via a simplified registration process.
This is particularly relevant for businesses engaged in international trade and contracts, where swift and reliable enforcement of court decisions is essential.
Principaux avantages pour les parties commerciales
UK businesses currently face delays and added complexity when seeking to enforce judgments abroad. The Convention addresses this by offering a clearer, more consistent approach, helping reduce legal costs, uncertainty, and duplication of proceedings.
Sécurité juridique et efficacité
The Convention provides UK companies and consumers with increased confidence that UK court judgments va be recognised and enforced in other contracting states—and vice versa. This predictability encourages cross-border trade, investment, and règlement des litiges.
Combler le fossé de l'application des lois après le Brexit
Depuis qu'il a quitté l'UE, le Royaume-Uni ne fait plus partie de l'Union européenne. Règlement de refonte de Bruxelles et Convention de Lugano, which previously facilitated enforcement across the EU and EFTA states. The 2019 Hague Convention fills much of this void, although it does not govern jurisdiction allocation.
Soutien à la résolution des litiges commerciaux
La nouvelle convention complète la 2005 Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements, extending enforcement protections to non-exclusive jurisdiction agreements. This strengthens the UK’s attractiveness as a forum for resolving international dispute.
Économies de temps et d'argent
Particularly beneficial for PME, La Convention devrait permettre de réduire les frais de justice et les délais d'exécution des jugements étrangers, d'améliorer l'accès à la justice et de faciliter le recouvrement des créances dans les transactions transfrontalières.
Défis et limites
Champ d'application limité et exclusions
The Convention applies only to specific civil and commercial matters. It excludes areas such as family law and certain personal injury claims, meaning some cases will still require traditional enforcement mechanisms.
Inquiétudes concernant les normes judiciaires
Recognising judgments from countries with lower judicial transparency or fairness raises potential concerns. The UK government has stated it will actively monitor new members joining the Convention and may issue declarations to restrict enforcement where necessary.
Pas de règles sur l'attribution des compétences
La convention ne détermine pas quels tribunaux nationaux doivent connaître d'un litige. Les questions de compétence continueront d'être résolues en vertu des lois nationales ou d'autres accords internationaux.
Conclusion
The UK’s accession to the 2019 Hague Judgments Convention is a major advancement in re-establishing international legal cooperation after Brexit. It introduces a clearer and more efficient system for cross-border enforcement of civil and commercial judgments, benefiting UK businesses, consumers, and the broader legal sector.
While some limitations remain—such as exclusions in scope and concerns over fairness in certain jurisdictions—the Convention is expected to strengthen the UK’s position as a preferred venue for dispute resolution and promote smoother global trade and investment.
If you require any assistance in relation to enforcing a foreign judgment in the UK or a judgment outside of the UK, please contact Partner Jonathan Chan at J.Chan@rfblegal.co.uk.
Jonathan Chan
Partenaire en contentieux
