The High Court has restrained Joint Stock Company “State Transport Leasing Company” (JSC) from continuing or relying on Russian proceedings concerning aircraft claimed by two companies in liquidation in Ireland. The orders are directed at JSC alone and do not require it to discontinue those proceedings.
In a judgment delivered on 6 October 2025, Mr Justice Rory Mulcahy said the court had jurisdiction to grant anti-suit relief to protect its own processes and the liquidation of GTLK Europe DAC and GTLK Europe Capital DAC. He found that JSC had submitted to Irish jurisdiction by entering an unconditional appearance to appeal earlier orders and by making claims as a creditor in the liquidation.
The earlier Irish orders declared pledge agreements relied on by JSC void or voidable. JSC later pursued three Russian arbitrations, which resulted in awards finding the agreements valid and JSC entitled to the aircraft, and brought proceedings seeking orders requiring the liquidators to withdraw letters sent to aircraft lessees and airports. The judgment also addressed a Russian anti-suit order against the liquidators. JSC did not make submissions on the present application; a solicitor appeared to say it would not participate.
The judge said JSC’s arbitration and mandatory-injunction cases, brought after it had submitted to Irish jurisdiction, were an abuse of the Irish court’s process and an attempt to circumvent final Irish orders. He also found that steps to give effect to the Russian anti-suit order after JSC submitted to Irish jurisdiction could interfere with the Irish litigation. Separately, he held that foreign proceedings asserting ownership of assets claimed in the liquidation could undermine the collective process for realising and distributing those assets among creditors.
The liquidators had sought orders restraining JSC and anyone with notice from prosecuting the Russian proceedings or enforcing, seeking recognition of, or relying on orders made there. The court granted orders in those terms against JSC, but refused to extend them to other people merely because they knew of the orders. It also declined, at this stage, to require JSC to discontinue the Russian cases or to bar similar claims in other jurisdictions, citing insufficient evidence about the consequences of a discontinuance order and no evidence JSC intended to sue elsewhere.
The judge acknowledged that the liquidators had delayed more than a year in seeking relief against the Russian anti-suit order and arbitration awards. He said concerns about sanctions in Russia alone would not have been a compelling basis for relief, but found other grounds sufficient. Final orders and costs were due to be addressed at a further hearing listed for 10 October 2025.