London is home to one of the largest diplomatic communities in the world, with over 160 embassies. In a significant judgment by a majority of three, the UK Supreme Court (the Court) in Basfar v Wong [2022] UKSC 20 has confirmed that diplomats are unable to rely on their diplomatic immunity in response to alleged … Read more

A reminder that the 43rd of a series of annual lectures in honour of the late Dr FA Mann QC (Hon) (1907-1991) will take place in London on 18 November 2021. This series of lectures is arranged by the Partners of Herbert Smith Freehills LLP and given under the auspices of the British Institute of … Read more

We are proud to be a part of London Climate Action Week 2021 (LCAW), the annual event bringing together world-leading climate professionals and communities across London and beyond to find practical solutions to climate change. Founded in 2019, LCAW is the largest independent climate change event in Europe, helping to shape our future into one that is … Read more

On May 12, 2021, Canada published its new Model Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (the “New Model BIT”), revising the 2004 Model Agreement for the Promotion and Protection of Investments (the “2004 Model BIT”). The New Model BIT modernizes Canada’s framework and brings a few interesting innovations in the Bilateral Investment Treaty (“BIT”) world. … Read more

The prospect of an independent Scotland raises a number of significant questions as to the impact on the rights and obligations of both Scotland and the rest of the UK (rUK) under international law. This short article highlights some of the key international law implications of Scottish independence and how they may impact on private … Read more

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (the “Treaty“) entered into force on 22 January 2021. The Treaty is the first treaty to ban nuclear weapons, and has received support to date from 88 States. Background The Treaty was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 7 July 2017 and has been open … Read more

On 30 December 2020, the European Union and China announced their Agreement in Principle for the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI). This is a landmark development for both parties in these long-running negotiations which began in 2012. On 22 January 2021, in the interest of transparency, Brussels published certain draft sections (here) of the … Read more

The US-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA), the replacement to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), entered into force on 1 July 2020. Background On 24 April, 2020 the United States Trade Representative issued a press release confirming that all three NAFTA member states had notified the other parties, in writing, that they had completed the … Read more