Manta Line Inc. v. Seraphim Sofianites - Court of Appeal (Sir John Donaldson M.R., Ackner & Fox L.JJ.) - 29 June 1983

Foreign defendant loses right to challenge jurisdiction where English agent agrees to accept service of writ

The plaintiffs (Manta) were a company incorporated in Liberia, and were a general shipping management company operating from Piraeus in Greece. The defendant lived in Athens. Manta wished to bring an action against the defendant for, inter alia , breach of contract. Leave was required and granted ex parte by Bingham J. under Order 11, rule 1, to issue a writ for service on the defendant in Athens. The plaintiffs had the original writ and acknowledgement of service translated into Greek in order to serve it in accordance with Bingham J.’s order.