Jurisdiction: preliminary ruling by the court

In Barclays Bank plc v VEB.RF [2024] EWHC 2981 (Comm); [2025] 1 Lloyd's Rep 59 HHJ Pelling KC considered an application under section 32 of the Arbitration Act 1996 made by one party with the permission of the tribunal rather than with the consent of the other party, for a preliminary ruling on jurisdiction. The decision, in favour of the application, is a useful discussion of the application of the statutory criteria.

Barclays Bank: the facts