Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Alternative service definition

What does Alternative service mean? Alternative service is the court’s permission to serve a claim form or other court document by a different method or at a different place when standard service is not practicable. It is used where a party cannot be found, is evading service, or ordinary methods have failed. In England and Wales, cpr Part 6 (notably r.6.15) and case law (including Abela v Baadarani and Barton v Wright Hassall) require a good reason and a method likely to bring the document to the recipient’s attention; the court can validate steps already taken. Typical orders include service by email to a...

Alternative service under CPR Part 6 in England and Wales: case law tracker on orders granted/refused, service by email/WhatsApp/social media, process agents, persons unknown, and retrospective validation

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Practice notes

This Tracker gathers a range of illustrative rulings that may offer insight into the factors a court may regard as relevant when deciding whether to make or grant an order for alternative service in matters where the defendant/respondent is located in England and Wales (England), or where a contract provides for service in England even though the defendant is in another jurisdiction. Note that the service provisions in Part 6 underwent major revision in 2008, and any authorities predating that reform are excluded from this tracker as they may not fully reflect the current position. For illustrative decisions with cross-border dimensions, see Practice Note: (cross border). For guidance on different aspects of alternative service, see the following Practice Notes:

Alternative service—principles
Alternative service—types of alternative service
Serving court documents on persons unknown
Alternative service—considerations
Alternative service—making an application

For guidance on service in England and Wales, see: Service in England and Wales—overview.

Alternative service ordered

Case, citation and News Analysis Facts/Issues Decision

African Export-Import Bank v The National Government of the Republic of South Sudan [2025] EWHC 1079 (Comm) The defendants were foreign entities outside the jurisdiction...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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