The former king of Spain wants Court of Appeal judges to step in after he was sued by an ex-lover in a UK court.
Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, a Danish businesswoman, has taken legal action against Juan Carlos I and is seeking damages for personal injury, claiming he caused her “great mental pain” by spying on and harassing her.
Juan Carlos, 84, who ruled from 1975 until his abdication in June 2014 and the succession of his son, King Felipe VI, denies any wrongdoing.
Lawyers representing Juan Carlos argued he is “entitled to immunity from the jurisdiction of the English courts in his capacity as a senior member of the Spanish royal family”.
But after a recent hearing in London, High Court judge Mr Justice Nicklin ruled against the former king, saying the claim can go ahead.
In a follow-up hearing on Tuesday, Juan Carlos’s lawyers told the judge they want to take the issue to the Court of Appeal and ask judges to consider the case in the near future.
Mr Justice Nicklin rejected the argument that, despite his abdication, Juan Carlos remains a “sovereign” and is entitled to personal immunity under the State Immunity Act 1978.
“There is only one king of Spain and head of state of Spain and, since June 19, 2014, that has been his son, King Felipe VI,” he said.
“Whatever his special constitutional position following abdication, [Juan Carlos] is neither the sovereign nor the head of state of Spain.”
The judge also said Juan Carlos is not a member of the current king’s household within the meaning of the act and that his position under the Spanish constitution is “entirely honorary” and provides him “no continuing role”.
“[Juan Carlos's] abdication created an unprecedented position in Spain, the legal effects of which for the purposes of immunity in this jurisdiction require consideration by the Court of Appeal,” barrister Sir Daniel Bethlehem QC, who led Juan Carlos’s legal team, told Mr Justice Nicklin in a written argument.
“Moreover, the requirements of comity between the United Kingdom and Spain, including the sovereigns of both states, means that His Majesty’s claim to immunity warrants consideration by an appellate court.”
Juan Carlos must establish that he has an arguable case and receive permission to mount an appeal, but Mr Justice Nicklin refused to grant permission.
Sir Daniel said lawyers would now ask a Court of Appeal judge to grant permission.
A spokeswoman for law firm Clifford Chance, which represents Juan Carlos, said after the hearing that the ex-monarch was “very disappointed” with Mr Justice Nicklin’s decision not to grant permission to appeal.
She said he believed that he had “strong and compelling grounds for appeal” and added: “Accordingly, he will be taking immediate steps to seek permission from the Court of Appeal.”
Robin Rathmell, who represents Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn and is part of law firm Kobre & Kim, said after the hearing: “Although Juan Carlos has indicated he will seek permission to appeal from the Court of Appeal, my client is confident in the decision reached by Mr Justice Nicklin and she will address any such application in due course.”
INFO
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
more from Janine di Giovanni
Race results:
1. Thani Al Qemzi (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi: 46.44 min
2. Peter Morin (FRA) CTIC F1 Shenzhen China Team: 0.91sec
3. Sami Selio (FIN) Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team: 31.43sec
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The Bio
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Abu Dhabi card
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6pm: Dhafra
6.30pm: Maqam
7pm: AF Mekhbat
7.30pm: Ezz Al Rawasi
Scores
New Zealand 266 for 9 in 50 overs
Pakistan 219 all out in 47.2 overs
New Zealand win by 47 runs
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
