On 21 February 2025, the High Court of England & Wales delivered its decision in the high-profile proceedings brought by Raffaele Mincione, a British-Swiss businessman, and a number of associated companies against the Secretariat of State of the Holy See.
The case was heard in the Commercial Court in a multi-week trial taking place across June – July 2024. The proceedings were widely reported in the international press (including the Guardian, the Times and the Financial Times): they were described by the Telegraph as the Vatican’s “trial of the century” (see link) and it is believed to be the first time in history where one of the principal governmental units of the Vatican City State was a defendant in a civil trial taking place in England & Wales. It was also one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2024.
The Claimants requested declaratory relief in relation to various contracts which were agreed in November – December 2018 and by which the Secretariat of State had sought to acquire the remaining interest in a property located at 60 Sloane Avenue, London. Some of the declarations sought were declarations that the Claimants had acted in good faith in relation to the negotiation and execution of this transaction but the Court declined to grant such declarations, finding that on “the facts shown at trial the Claimants fell below the standards of communication with the [Secretariat of State of the Holy See] … that could be described as good faith conduct”.
The full 50 page judgment can be accessed here.
It has already been reported across the international media, see more:
James Bradford acted for the Defendant, the Secretariat of State of the Holy See. He was led by Charles Hollander KC (Brick Court Chambers) acting alongside Samar Abbas Kazmi (Atkin Chambers) and Jagoda Klimowicz (Brick Court Chambers). He was instructed by Hill Dickinson LLP.
