Bank Ordered To Honour Refund Guarantees Despite Foreign Court Orders Prohibiting Payment

The Claimant Buyers brought proceedings against the Defendant Bank under refund guarantees issued by the Bank in support of two shipbuilding contracts between the Buyers and Sellers. Pursuant to the contracts, the Claimant had paid instalments on terms that they would be refunded if the contracts were cancelled. When the ships were not delivered on time, the Claimant commenced arbitration against the Sellers claiming repayment of the instalments. It obtained awards in its favour. In the instant proceedings, it claimed payment from the Bank under the guarantees.

The Sellers had meanwhile commenced proceedings in China against the ships' engine...