Africa: Litigation, Mediation & Arbitration

Revolut’s co-founder and CEO, Nik Storonsky, is facing a claim in London’s High Court from yacht brokerage Cecil Wright & Partners over the purchase of the 102-metre, reportedly €350 million, superyacht Nixie. Cecil Wright filed its claim in July, alleging that it introduced the yacht and was the “effective cause” of the transaction despite ultimately being excluded from the sale.

For most of the history of civil procedure, a person who stood wholly outside a dispute, who had done no wrong and owed no duty, could not be drawn into a separate action brought solely to extract information from them. This foundational principle, known as the mere witness rule, protected individuals from being compelled to provide information in disputes to which they were not a party.

The emergence of generative artificial intelligence in arbitration raises fundamental questions about the legitimacy of arbitral awards when AI assists in decision-making. Two landmark cases examine whether extensive AI reliance by arbitrators constitutes impermissible delegation of their adjudicative function, and whether existing legal frameworks can adequately address these novel challenges.

The digital age has fundamentally altered how defamation and data privacy intersect, particularly on social media platforms where reputational harm can stem from both false publications and unauthorized use of personal information.

The new Mass Media Proclamation 1238/2021 has introduced significant changes to the previous legal regime governing the media. The law has introduced commendable legal provisions that provide greater protection and space for media freedom as well as more flexibility with regard to investments in the media industry. In this brief commentary, we will provide the major changes made in the new Mass Media proclamation briefly.

On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court of Nigeria (the “Supreme Court”) delivered a landmark decision in the case of Emma Elegbe & Anor v. HP International Schools Limited & 3 Ors...

Partner Jean-Paul Rudd of Adams & Adams has analysed ten pivotal US insurance judgments that clarify how courts interpret policy language, apply exclusions, and establish indemnity boundaries. These cases reveal critical principles governing consent-to-settle provisions, contextual reading of exclusions, and coverage triggers that shape modern insurance disputes.

A Kenyan High Court ruling has determined that unlicensed lenders cannot enforce loan agreements, raising fundamental questions about the enforceability of private credit arrangements and the scope of regulatory licensing requirements. With the Central Bank of Kenya yet to finalize its licensing framework, lenders face mounting uncertainty over their legal standing in recovery proceedings.

Domain names are more than website addresses—they are brand identifiers and business assets that require strategic intellectual property protection. Many entrepreneurs mistakenly believe that registering a domain automatically grants trademark rights, but Nigerian law reveals a more complex relationship between domain registration and brand ownership that can expose businesses to significant legal and commercial risks.

When a neighbour's watchdog bites someone who repeatedly puts their head over a boundary wall despite warnings, does the dog owner face strict liability? This South African case examines the actio de pauperie remedy and explores when an injured party's own conduct can defeat a claim, offering critical insights for insurers assessing dog-bite liability claims.

Road transportation remains the predominant means of movement for individuals and goods in Nigeria, and one feature that has remained constant in Nigeria's transportation landscape is the steady increase in the number of motor vehicles using public roads. In densely populated commercial centres such as Lagos, thousands of private motorists, commercial transport operators, heavy-duty vehicles, motorcycles, tricycles and pedestrians interact daily within an increasingly congested road network. The inevitable consequence is the frequent occurrence of road traffic accidents resulting in death, bodily injury and substantial property damage.

A South African court held a landlord liable for severe injuries sustained by a minor child when a heavy sliding gate toppled onto him at rented premises. The judgment examined whether the landlord breached his duty to maintain reasonably safe premises and whether the absence of adequate safety mechanisms constituted negligence, with significant implications for property owner liability insurance.