[2025] SGHC(I) 19 — HULLEY ENTERPRISES LIMITED & 2 Ors v THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Catchwords

Res Judicata — Issue estoppel Arbitration — Enforcement — Foreign award Arbitration — Conduct of arbitration — Estoppel International Law — Sovereign immunity — Sections 3(1) and 11(1) State Immunity Act 1979 (2020 Rev Ed)

Practice Areas

Res Judicata Arbitration International Law

Judges (3)

Andre Maniam Coram Anthony Meagher Delivered James Allsop Coram

Counsel (13)

Providence Law Asia LLC Firm WongPartnership LLP Firm Axl Rizqy Counsel Defendant Jill Ann Koh Ying (Xu Ying) Counsel Claimant Kyle Chong Kee Cheng Counsel Defendant Lau Hui Ming Kenny Counsel Defendant Lin Weiqi Wendy Counsel Claimant Sean Koh Counsel Claimant Soh Kheng Yau Andre Counsel Claimant Vergis S Abraham Counsel Defendant Wee Jong Xuan Counsel Claimant Yap Zhan Ming Counsel Claimant Zhan Xiangyun Counsel Claimant

Parties (4)

Hulley Enterprises Ltd Claimant The Russian Federation Defendant Veteran Petroleum Ltd Claimant Yukos Universal Ltd Claimant

Summary

Three former Yukos shareholders sought to enforce arbitral awards totalling approximately US$50 billion against the Russian Federation in Singapore. The Russian Federation applied to set aside the enforcement order on sovereign immunity grounds. The SICC dismissed the sovereign immunity challenge, holding that the Russian Federation was estopped by the Dutch courts' final decision that it had agreed in writing to submit to arbitration under the Energy Charter Treaty.

Statutes Cited

Arbitration Act (Cap 10)

s 66

International Arbitration Act (Cap 143A)

s 29

State Immunity Act

s 1 s 2(7) s 3(1) s 9

The claim was the subject of an adjudication application under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act (Cap 30B)

Cases Cited (45)

SLR (13)

[2006] 2 SLR(R) 830 [2010] 1 SLR 658 [2010] 3 SLR 489 [2014] 1 SLR 372 [2015] 2 SLR 352 [2015] 2 SLR 972 [2015] 5 SLR 1104 [2016] 4 SLR 1336 [2016] 5 SLR 536 [2021] 1 SLR 1102 [2022] 3 SLR 145 [2024] 1 SLR 56 [2024] 3 SLR 1

UK (32)

[1894] 1 QB 149 [1938] AC 485 [1939] AC 160 [1947] AC 209 [1967] 1 AC 853 [1972] AC 1027 [1975] AC 774 [1975] Ch 397 [1976] 1 WLR 248 [1977] AC 373 [1977] QB 529 [1983] 1 AC 244 [1984] AC 580 [1989] Ch 72 [1991] 2 AC 33 [2001] QB 955 [2003] 1 WLR 1041 [2007] 1 AC 270 [2007] QB 886 [2011] AC 763 [2011] QB 8 [2012] EWCA Civ 41 [2017] AC 964 [2019] AC 777 [2021] 1 WLR 1123 [2022] 1 WLR 3434 [2022] AC 318 [2022] EWHC 2690 [2023] 1 WLR 1162 [2023] EWCA Civ 867 [2024] KB 208 [2025] EWCA Civ 108

Cited By (3)

[2026] SGHC 43

NEXTERA ENERGY GLOBAL HOLDINGS B.V. & Anor v KINGDOM OF SPAIN

[2025] SGHC(I) 27

HULLEY ENTERPRISES LIMITED & 2 Ors v THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

[2025] SGHC 182

AMIR MOHAMED NURUSSALAAM BIN MOHAMED LOFTI & 10 Ors v PERSEKUTUAN KEBAJIKAN ISLAM TELUK KURAU SINGAPURA & 18 Ors