Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Applicable law definition

What does Applicable law mean? Applicable law describes the body of law that actually governs a dispute, transaction or issue in practice—either because the parties have made a valid governing law (choice‑of‑law) clause, or, absent such a clause, because conflict‑of‑laws rules select it. The term is descriptive rather than a defined statutory label and is used across contracts, tort/delict, property and regulatory compliance. In England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, if no valid choice is made, the applicable law of contractual obligations is identified under Rome I as retained EU law; for non‑contractual obligations, Rome II as retained EU law applies. In...

UK Rome I (Assimilated): General Provisions for Contracts from 1 January 2021: Overriding Mandatory Rules, Scope, Assignment, Set-off, Habitual Residence, Renvoi, Public Policy and English Common Law Interface

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Practice notes

This Practice Note is for use when determining applicable law where the contract was entered into on or after 1 January 2021.

Where a contract predates 1 January 2021, the UK courts will apply an alternative governing law regime. The regime engaged turns solely on the contract’s date of conclusion. Accordingly, the applicable framework is date‑sensitive. For an overview of the distinct regimes and how they interact and interrelate, see Practice Note: Applicable law regimes. This Practice Note cites UK Rome I, Regulation (EC) 593/2008. It is a key point of reference when addressing law applicable to such contracts. That instrument governs the choice of law for contracts concluded on or after 1 January 2021. Formerly styled Retained Rome I, from 1 January 2024 it has been termed Assimilated Rome I—the rebranding affects the title alone, not the substance of its provisions. Authorities may use either label; accordingly, for simplicity, this Practice Note adopts the shorthand UK Rome I, and case law and commentary may alternate between the two denominations. For material on assimilated law, see Practice Note: Assimilated law. For guidance on whether judgments of the Court of Justice delivered before 31 December 2020 remain binding on UK courts,...

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Angharad Parry , KC

Twenty Essex

Angharad Parry specialises in advisory and advocacy work in a wide range of commercial disputes with a special focus on private international law issues/conflict of laws, sale of goods and commodities, energy and natural resources, off-shore, projects and heavy industry, carriage of goods, shipping and public international law work (particularly involving contracts between states and private entities). In addition to court work, she has extensive experience in arbitration, particularly before the ICC and LCIA. Angharad has also been involved in court proceedings, ancillary to arbitration, with a recent appearance before the Court of Appeal in the seminal case of Integral Petroleum Ltd v Melars Group Ltd (2016) EWCA Civ 108. She has also been involved in numerous proceedings with multi-jurisdictional elements.Angharad is recommended by The Legal 500 (2012 and 2013) as a "Leading Junior" in the field of Commercial...

Web page updated on 22/05/2026

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