Migration Jurisprudence from the South › United Kingdom
Benkharbouche v. Embassy of Sudan
UK Supreme Court · United Kingdom · 2017-10-18 · National court
Citation: [2017] UKSC 62
Type of case: Private
Outcome: Decided for the migrant side
Question
Can foreign states rely on immunity to block employment claims by domestic staff at their embassies?
What the court decided
No, for private-law employment acts. The immunity provisions breached the right of access to a court and could not be applied to these claims.
In plain language
Moroccan women employed as cooks and domestic staff at embassies in London were refused their wage claims because the embassies claimed immunity. The Supreme Court let the claims go ahead.
Dalam bahasa sederhana
Perempuan Maroko yang bekerja sebagai juru masak dan staf rumah tangga di kedutaan di London tidak bisa menuntut upah karena kedutaan mengklaim kekebalan. MA mengizinkan gugatan berlanjut.
Pertanyaan: Bisakah negara asing memakai kekebalan untuk menghalangi gugatan kerja staf rumah tangga di kedutaan mereka?
What happened afterwards
- 2017-10-18: Judgment.
- 2023: State Immunity Act amended by remedial order. [Check.]
Sources
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Cite as: Institute for Migrant Rights (2026), Migration Jurisprudence from the South, version 0.1, https://theimr.org/court-decisions/d/uk-benkharbouche-2017/. This page summarizes a court decision for research and advocacy; it is not legal advice.