Goods are carried multimodally from Finland to England by an English carrier, and stolen in England. If the owner wants to sue the carrier, where is the contract performed within Art.7(1) of Brussels I Recast: England, Finland or both? The Advocate-General has just given an opinion in Zurich Insurance v ALS Ltd (area of freedom, security and justice) [2018] EUECJ C-88/17: it is the place of loading or discharge, at the claimant’s election. Hence the claimant there had the right, whatever the English defendant said, to sue in Finland.
This must be right. It has always been accepted that the place of discharge is competent. In Rehder v Air Baltic Corp (C‑204/08) [2009] E.C.R. I-6073; [2009] I.L.Pr. 44 and flightright GmbH v Air Nostrum (C-274/16) [2018] EUECJ 274/16 this was held to be the position as regards transport of passengers; and understandably the view was expressed that there was no reason to regard the transport of things any differently.
Good, but not surprising, news for cargo owners and insurers. Still, it’s nice to know.
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