FOREIGN STATES IMMUNITIES ACT 1985

This compilation was prepared on 25 September 2009
taking into account amendments up to Act No. 89 of 2009

The text of any of those amendments not in force
on that date is appended in the Notes section

The operation of amendments that have been incorporated may be
affected by application provisions that are set out in the Notes section

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting and Publishing,
Attorney‑General's Department, Canberra

Contents

Part I--Preliminary 1

1............ Short title [see Note 1] ....................................................................... 1

2............ Commencement [see Note 1] .............................................................. 1

3............ Interpretation ...................................................................................... 1

4............ External Territories ............................................................................. 3

5............ Act to bind Crown .............................................................................. 3

6............ Savings of other laws .......................................................................... 3

7............ Application ......................................................................................... 3

8............ Application to courts ......................................................................... 4

Part II--Immunity from jurisdiction 5

9............ General immunity from jurisdiction ................................................... 5

10.......... Submission to jurisdiction .................................................................. 5

11.......... Commercial transactions ..................................................................... 6

12.......... Contracts of employment ................................................................... 7

13.......... Personal injury and damage to property ............................................ 8

14.......... Ownership, possession and use of property etc. ............................... 9

15.......... Copyright, patents, trade marks etc. .................................................. 9

16.......... Membership of bodies corporate etc. ................................................. 9

17.......... Arbitrations ...................................................................................... 10

18.......... Actions in rem .................................................................................. 11

19.......... Bills of exchange ............................................................................... 11

20.......... Taxes ................................................................................................. 12

21.......... Related proceedings .......................................................................... 12

22.......... Application of Part to separate entities ........................................... 12

Part III--Service and judgments 13

23.......... Service of initiating process by agreement ........................................ 13

24.......... Service through the diplomatic channel ............................................ 13

25.......... Other service ineffective ................................................................... 14

26.......... Waiver of objection to service .......................................................... 14

27 Judgment in default of appearance ............................................................. 14

28.......... Enforcement of default judgments .................................................... 15

29.......... Power to grant relief ......................................................................... 16

Part IV--Enforcement 17

30.......... Immunity from execution ................................................................. 17

31.......... Waiver of immunity from execution ................................................. 17

32.......... Execution against commercial property ............................................ 17

33.......... Execution against immovable property etc. ...................................... 18

34.......... Restrictions on certain other relief .................................................... 18

35.......... Application of Part to separate entities ........................................... 19

Part V--Miscellaneous 20

36.......... Heads of foreign States ..................................................................... 20

37.......... Effect of agreements on separate entities ......................................... 20

38.......... Power to set aside process etc. ......................................................... 20

39.......... Discovery ......................................................................................... 21

40.......... Certificate as to foreign State etc. ..................................................... 21

41.......... Certificate as to use .......................................................................... 22

42.......... Restrictions and extensions of immunities and privileges--general . 22

42A....... Extension of immunities--emergency prevention and management . 23

43.......... Regulations ....................................................................................... 24

Schedule 25

Form 1 25

Form 2 26

Notes 27

An Act relating to foreign State immunity

Notes to the Foreign States Immunities Act 1985

Note 1

The Foreign States Immunities Act 1985 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 196, 1985 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Table of Acts

Act	Number and year	Date of Assent	Date of commencement	Application, saving or transitional provisions
Foreign States Immunities Act 1985	196, 1985	16 Dec 1985	Ss. 1-17, 18(1), (3)-(5) and 19-43: 1 Apr 1986 (see Gazette 1986, No. S128) S. 18(2): 1 Jan 1989 (see Gazette 1988, No. S359)
Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1987	141, 1987	18 Dec 1987	S. 3: Royal Assent (a)	S. 5(1)
Foreign States Immunities Amendment Act 2009	89, 2009	18 Sept 2009	19 Sept 2009	--

ad. = added or inserted am. = amended rep. = repealed rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected	How affected
Part II
S. 22....................................	am. No. 141, 1987
Part V
Heading to s. 42..................	am. No. 89, 2009
S. 42....................................	am. No. 89, 2009
S. 42A.................................	ad. No. 89, 2009

Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

FOREIGN STATES IMMUNITIES ACT 1985 - NOTES