Part II

Jurisdiction, and Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments, within United Kingdom

Jurisdiction in consumer and employment matters

Jurisdiction in relation to individual contracts of employment
15C
1
This section applies in relation to proceedings whose subject-matter is a matter relating to an individual contract of employment.
2
The employer may be sued by the employee—
a
where the employer is domiciled in the United Kingdom, in the courts for the part of the United Kingdom in which the employer is domiciled,
b
in the courts for the place in the United Kingdom where or from where the employee habitually carries out the employee's work or last did so (regardless of the domicile of the employer), or
c
if the employee does not or did not habitually carry out the employee's work in any one part of the United Kingdom
or any one overseas country
, in the courts for the place in the United Kingdom where the business which engaged the employee is
or was
situated (regardless of the domicile of the employer).
3
If the employee is domiciled in the United Kingdom, the employer may only sue the employee in the part of the United Kingdom in which the employee is domiciled (regardless of the domicile of the employer).
4
Subsections (2) and (3) are subject to rule 11 of Schedule 4 (and rule 14 of Schedule 4 has effect accordingly).
5
Subsections (2) and (3) do not affect—
a
the right (under rule 5(c) of Schedule 4 or otherwise) to bring a counterclaim in the court in which, in accordance with subsection (2) or (3), the original claim is pending,
b
the operation of rule 3(e) of Schedule 4,
c
the operation of rule 5(a) of Schedule 4 so far as it permits an employer to be sued by an employee, or
d
the operation of any other rule of law which permits a person not domiciled in the United Kingdom to be sued in the courts of a part of the United Kingdom.
6
Subsections (2) and (3) may be departed from only by an agreement which—
a
is entered into after the dispute has arisen, or
b
allows the employee to bring proceedings in courts other than those indicated in this section.
7
For the purposes of this section, where an employee enters into an individual contract of employment with an employer who is not domiciled in the United Kingdom, the employer is deemed to be domiciled in the relevant part of the United Kingdom if the employer has a branch, agency or other establishment in that part of the United Kingdom and the dispute arose from the operation of that branch, agency or establishment.
Ss. 15A-15E and cross-heading inserted (31.12.2020) by The Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/479), regs. 1(1), 26 (with regs. 92-95) (as amended by S.I. 2020/1493, regs. 1(1), 5(2)-(5)); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
Words in s. 15C(2)(c) inserted in earlier amending provision S.I. 2019/479, reg. 26 (31.12.2020) by The Jurisdiction, Judgments and Applicable Law (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1574), regs. 1, 3(b)
Words in s. 15C(2)(c) inserted in earlier amending provision S.I. 2019/479, reg. 26 (31.12.2020) by The Jurisdiction, Judgments and Applicable Law (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1574), regs. 1, 3(a)