Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Serving Injunctions in England and Wales: Personal and Alternative Service, Persons Unknown and Newcomer Orders, Claim Form Requirements, Contra Mundum Issues, Cross-border Service and Contempt Considerations

Published by a LexisNexis Dispute Resolution expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note reviews the rules and authorities on serving an injunction and outlines practical issues that may arise. Interim injunctions are a type of court order that include a penal notice. That notice enables the applicant to bring contempt proceedings against a respondent who breaches the order. To rely on the penal notice after any breach, it must be demonstrated that the injunction was validly served.

General principles

Specific requirements apply to service of an interim injunction, as confirmed by the Court of Appeal in Canada Goose:

the defendant must be named:
- if known and identified—the defendant(s) must be named individually
- if not identified, the defendant must be identifiable—such defendant(s) should be described as ‘persons unknown’. Note, they must be capable of being identified and served with the order, see Service of an injunction on persons unknown below
valid method of service:
- to found contempt proceedings in the event of a breach, service must be effected by personal service, see Personal service below
- the court may dispense with the requirement for personal...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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