Committal for Contempt of Court in Open Court at the Commercial Court: Sanchouli

CivilCommittal for Contempt of Court

Claim no. BL-2019-00023

Business and Property Courts of England and Wales
Commercial Court

31 March 2020

 

Before:

Mr Justice Foxton

Between:

Integral Petroleum

-v-

Mahdieh Sanchouli

 

Committal for Contempt of Court in Open Court at Business and Property Courts of England and Wales, Commercial Court (QB)

Pursuant to paragraph 13 of Practice Direction: Committal for Contempt of Court – Open Court dated 26 March 2015  and the COVID-19 Protocol

In relation to claim no. BL-2019-00023, on 31 March 2020, in a remotely conducted hearing listed at the High Court of Justice sitting in the Rolls Building, London, Mr Justice Foxton sentenced Ms Mahdieh Sanchouli to a custodial sentence of 3 months for contempt of court. This sentence was suspended for 12 months on condition that Ms Sanchouli commit no other contempts during the 12 month period.

The basis of the sentence was that Ms Sanchouli:

  1. Breached paragraphs 1 and 2 of an order made by Mr Justice Morgan on 13 January 2020. The order required the Defendants (of whom Ms Sanchouli was a director):
    (a) to take no steps whatsoever to direct delivery of the cargo to Iran or elsewhere (paragraph 1);
    (b) to sign letters in the form of the draft attached as Schedule C to the Order by 12.00 Turkmenistan time on 14 January 2018 (paragraph 2).
    Ms Sanchouli breached paragraph 1 of the Order by providing instructions to an employee named Ms Lobis to take the measures necessary to ensure that part of the Cargo was transported by train from Turkmenistan to Iran.
    Ms Sanchouli breached paragraph 2 of the Order by failing to procure the signature by a duly authorised representative of the First and Second Defendants of a letter in the form of Schedule C to Mr Justice Morgan’s order by the stipulated deadline of 12 noon Turkmenistan time on 14 January 2018.
  2. Breached an order made by His Honour Judge Waksman QC on 26 January 2018. That order required the Defendants (of whom Ms Sanchouli was a director) forthwith to provide a letter signed by a duly authorised representative in the form attached as schedule C to the order.
    Ms Sanchouli breached the order by failing forthwith to procure the signature by a duly authorised representative of the First and Second Defendants of a letter in the required form.

A sentence of 3 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, was imposed in respect of each of the breaches, to run concurrently.

Further facts in relation to this dispute can be found in the reported judgment Integral Petroleum SA v Petrogat FZE [2020] EWHC 558 (Comm) available on the BAILII website.