Benkharbouche v. Embassy of the Republic of Sudan (Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Others intervening)

State immunity — Jurisdictional immunity — Embassy employment disputes — Domestic staff — Claims for infringement of employment rights — Whether claims barred by State immunity — State Immunity Act 1978 (“SIA”), Section 1 — Exceptions to immunity — Limitations to exceptions — Section 16(1)(a) of SIA — Section 4(2)(b) of SIA — Scope of immunity — Absolute immunity — Restrictive immunity — Whether starting point absolute or restrictive immunity — Distinction between jure gestionis and jure imperii — Customary international law — Whether rule of customary international law justifying Sections 4(2)(b) and 16(1)(a) of SIA — Whether United Kingdom having jurisdiction over respondent States — Whether Article 6 of European Convention on Human Rights, 1950 and Article 47 of Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union engagedDiplomatic relations — Immunity from jurisdiction — Embassy employment disputes — Domestic staff employed locally — Whether members of mission — Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961, Article 1 — Whether Section 16(1)(a) of SIA applicable to claimants — Whether employment of domestic staff of diplomatic mission an act jure gestionis — Whether State entitled to State immunity in proceedings against employer embassiesRelationship of international law and municipal law — Treaties — European Convention on Human Rights, 1950, Articles 6 and 14 — Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Article 47 — Incorporation into English law — Sections 4(2)(b) and 16(1)(a) of SIA — Whether compatible — Whether Article 6 of European Convention engaged by claim to State immunity — Jurisprudence of European Court of Human Rights — Customary international law — Scope of State immunity — Whether starting point absolute or restrictive immunity — International Law Commission’s Draft Article 11 — United Nations Convention on Jurisdictional Immunities of States and their Property, 2004, Article 11 — Relevance — Whether Sections 4(2)(b) and 16(1)(a) of SIA having any basis in customary international law — Whether employer States entitled to immunity as regards claimants’ claims — Whether Sections 4(2)(b) and 16(1)(a) of SIA compatible with Article 6 of European Convention and Article 47 of EU CharterHuman rights — Right of access to court — State immunity — European Convention on Human Rights, 1950 — State Immunity 576Act 1978 — Claimants bringing proceedings against foreign States in relation to employment at embassy — Whether defendant States immune — Whether provisions of SIA barring claimants’ access to court — Whether recognition of immunity involving violation of right of access to courts — Whether infringement of Article 6 of European Convention and Article 47 of EU CharterHuman rights — Prohibition of discrimination — State immunity — European Convention on Human Rights, 1950 — Whether Section 4(2)(b) of State Immunity Act 1978 discriminating on grounds of nationality — Whether infringing Article 14 taken together with Article 6 of European Convention — The law of England