Targeting assets may be a useful way to get the wealthy to comply
Contempt of court remains one of the strongest tools in a judge's armour to ensure compliance and is used sparingly. When Richard Harrison, sitting in the High Court, recently handed down a 28-day suspended prison sentence to Mikhail Kroupeev, a Russian oil tycoon, it carried with it a powerful message: those who consistently refuse to comply with court orders will be dealt with.
But that message risks becoming seriously diluted when it is aimed at an individual residing outside of the jurisdiction. In this instance, the sentence was in response to Kroupeev's persistent and flagrant disregard for court orders made in divorce proceedings involving his wife of 36 years, Elena Kroupeeva. Harrison described Kroupeev's conduct as 'arrogant, controlling and profoundly disrespectful …' and stated that he had 'no choice' but to hand down the suspended prison sentence.
For now, Kroupeev has been granted a temporary reprieve. If he complies with an order that he pays slightly more than £195,000 towards Kroupeeva's legal fees, he will not be imprisoned. But Kroupeev, a Russian national with British citizenship, resides in Cyprus. Will the threat of imprisonment be enough to ensure his compliance with the costs and other orders in the future?
If Kroupeev fails to respect the costs order and the threat of imprisonment lying behind it, there is a limit to what action can actually be taken. Should he refuse to obey, there are numerous legal and practical hurdles which would have to be overcome, all of which would be both costly and time-consuming.
His residence in Cyprus means that he would have to be extradited to serve a prison sentence. That, in itself, is a process fraught with obstacles, especially if the person in question possesses a personal fortune. The court has few other tools at its disposal to command Kroupeev's presence.
However, there is another sanction for contempt that is rarely used — confiscation of assets held in the jurisdiction. Perhaps, where wealthy individuals are concerned, confiscating their assets in the UK could prove to be a more effective deterrent than the threat of a prison sentence which it may not be possible to enforce.
Wealthy individuals should not be allowed to evade justice and hitting their pockets, rather than their liberty, may well be a better incentive to respect the English courts. Michelle Quinn is a partner at Grosvenor Law
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Everything you need to know about a Trump, Putin, Zelensky showdown summit – and who has the upper hand
A HISTORIC meeting between Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and maybe Volodymyr Zelensky could finally decide the fate of the war in Ukraine. With battlefields burning and sanctions ready to bite, this diplomatic showdown could be the start of peace - or another powder keg. 8 8 This isn't just another summit – it's a historic high-stakes gamble. Trump is betting big that Putin wants peace, that Zelensky can stomach compromise, and that America's economic firepower can bring the war to an end. Here is everything you need to know about the major meeting and the men comprising the most explosive political triangle in years. When and where could the summit take place? Trump could sit down with Mad Vlad Putin as early as next week, according to the White House. A trilateral meeting including Zelensky is also on the table - a diplomatic first if it happens. A top aide to Putin, Yuri Ushakov, announced that 'an agreement was agreed in principle to hold a bilateral summit in the coming days,' following a suggestion from the American side. All parties are now working on the details, and while the venue has been agreed, it will be revealed later. The possibility of a trilateral meeting with Zelensky was also raised by US special envoy Steve Witkoff during his talks with Putin yesterday — though Ushakov says Moscow has, for now, left that idea 'without comment.' Don and Vlad last met in person at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28, 2019, during Trump's first term as America's leader. And if Zelensky joins the upcoming meeting, it would mark the first time all three leaders sit at the same table since war erupted in 2022. What will be discussed? One issue dominates: peace in Ukraine. Trump's administration says it is pushing hard for a deal. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, just wrapped up a three-hour meeting with Putin in Moscow this week, which Trump called "highly productive". But there's a clock ticking. The Republican strongman slashed his original 50-day deadline for a Ukraine peace deal to just 10 days - and that deadline expires Friday. If Putin doesn't budge, Trump is poised to hammer Moscow - and its enablers - with crippling secondary sanctions. India has already been hit with 50 per cent tariffs over its Russian oil purchases - and China could be next. Trump warned: "We did it with India. We're doing it probably with a couple of others. One of them could be China." The White House says Trump has made it clear there will be "biting sanctions" if Russia doesn't agree to a ceasefire. Who has the upper hand? Right now, everything hangs in the balance - and the power dynamic could shift in a heartbeat. Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, former British Army officer and military analyst, said the fact the summit is even happening is a win in itself. But as for who's calling the shots? That's where things get complicated. Noting the Russian leader still believes he's making ground in Ukraine, the expert told The Sun: 'Until fairly recently, it's been pretty clear that President Putin has absolutely no desire for peace. 'His aim at the beginning of his special military operation over three and a half years ago was to subjugate the whole of Ukraine.' According to de Bretton-Gordon, Trump has only recently woken up to the fact that he's being played. 8 8 8 'It would appear that Trump has had a bit of an epiphany, a bit of a change of mind, and has now realised that Putin has been playing him.' And now, Don is bringing the businessman in him and threatening to hit Russia where it hurts most: the wallet. 'If Trump follows through with his sanctions and tariffs… then this is the reason I think that Putin has come to the table,' de Bretton-Gordon explained. 'Economic and financial analysts who really know about these things believe that the Russian economy would peter out pretty quickly without the massive amounts of money and resources it gets from oil.' In other words, Trump holds the economic sledgehammer — if he's willing to swing it. But Putin isn't out of the game. His forces are still advancing, still hammering Ukrainian cities, and still killing civilians. 'Russia seems to be moving forward slowly,' de Bretton-Gordon warned. 'Attacking civilian targets in Ukraine at an unbelievable scale.' Zelensky, meanwhile, remains the wild card. 'The people who are most important here are the Ukrainians,' he said. 'A bad deal for Ukraine is worse than no deal at all.' And that's the real risk. Trump might be chasing headlines, not justice. 'I think Trump probably just wants to get a deal of some description,' the former army officer said. 'One just hopes that Trump doesn't try and do some sort of backhand deal with Putin, just so that he can claim that there is now peace in Ukraine, because the short-term peace is no good to anybody.' So who has the upper hand? Right now, it's still up for grabs. But if Trump sticks to his economic guns, and if Putin starts to feel the heat on the home front, the balance might just tip. Will Trump be able to make a deal? That's the trillion-dollar question. Trump insists he's serious. He's been increasingly frustrated with Putin, telling reporters: "Can't answer the question yet. I'll tell you in a matter of weeks, maybe less. But we made a lot of progress." Zelensky says the pressure is working. "It seems that Russia is now more inclined to a ceasefire," he said, but warned, "The main thing is that they do not deceive us in the details – neither us nor the US." Putin, for his part, has not ruled out a meeting with Zelensky – a U-turn after rejecting talks for nearly five years. But the Kremlin remains cagey. Aides say they're open to a summit "after preparatory work is done at the expert level." Still, Russia continues to play the long game. Putin's demands for peace remain unchanged, and behind the scenes, Moscow is preparing for no limits on nuclear deployments – a chilling echo of Cold War escalation. If talks fail, Trump's next move could ignite a global trade war. A 100 per cent tariff on all Russian goods and those of its allies is on the table. His message to Moscow? Deal or suffer. 8 8 What is the situation on the frontline? While diplomats talk, Putin bombs. Russia has escalated its attacks in Ukraine in recent days - in what some see as a final show of force ahead of the talks. Kyiv, Kherson, Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk - all hit. One missile slammed into a residential tower, killing 31 people, including five children. In Nikopol, a 23-year-old first responder was among the dead. Putin's war machine has launched hundreds of drones and missiles overnight in a relentless blitz. Even as Moscow talks ceasefire, its rockets keep flying. Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, have not backed down - striking deep into Russian territory with precision attacks on refineries, rail hubs, air defences and even military units inside Russia. The Afipsky Refinery in southern Russia went up in flames after a massive Ukrainian strike – a clear message that Kyiv can hit back hard. Just days ago, Russia declared there are now no limits on its deployment of nuclear missiles in a chilling warning to the West. Throwing off its gloves and restraints, Moscow vowed to match US and Nato moves with force, reigniting fears of a Cold War-style arms race. The Russian Foreign Ministry accused America and its allies of creating a "direct threat to the security of our country" by preparing to deploy intermediate-range weapons in Europe. Saying Moscow now has a free hand to respond, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "Russia no longer considers itself to be constrained by anything. "Therefore Russia believes it has the right to take respective steps if necessary." The trigger, according to Russia, is the planned US deployment of Typhoon and Dark Eagle missiles in Germany starting next year. The Kremlin said the move shattered what remained of strategic stability, accusing Donald Trump's USA of risking "a dangerous escalation of tensions between nuclear powers." It was the clearest warning yet that Vladimir Putin is prepared to redraw the red lines of nuclear deterrence — and challenge the West head-on. Will there be peace in Ukraine? THE prospect of peace in Ukraine remains uncertain as the Russia-Ukraine war continues into its fourth year. While Trump's diplomatic efforts and the planned meeting signal continued U.S. engagement, the gap between Russia's demands and Ukraine's conditions remains wide. Putin's history of stalling and Zelensky's insistence on a full ceasefire and security guarantees suggest that a lasting peace agreement is unlikely in the immediate term without significant concessions from either side. Next week's meeting may produce a framework or memorandum for future talks, as Putin has indicated, but a concrete peace deal appears distant based on current dynamics. Recent US-brokered talks, including direct negotiations in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2, 2025, have yielded no breakthroughs, though agreements on prisoner exchanges signal some dialogue. US President Donald Trump has pushed for a ceasefire, shortening a 50-day deadline for Russia to negotiate or face sanctions, but tensions persist with Russian advances in eastern Ukraine and intensified drone and missile strikes on cities like Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has suggested territorial swaps, while Russia shows little willingness to compromise. With ongoing military escalation and divergent American and European approaches, a lasting peace deal appears distant.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Trump tariffs: India has 20 days to avoid 50% levies - what are its options?
India has unexpectedly become a key target in Washington's latest push to pressure Russia over the Ukraine Wednesday, Donald Trump doubled US tariffs on India to 50%, up from 25%, penalising Delhi for purchasing Russian oil - a move India called "unfair" and "unjustified". The tariffs aim to cut Russia's oil revenues and force Putin into a ceasefire. The new rate will come into effect in 21 days, so on 27 makes India the most heavily taxed US trading partner in Asia and places it alongside Brazil, another nation facing steep US tariffs amid tense insists its imports are driven by market factors and vital to its energy security, but the tariffs threaten to hit Indian exports and growth all of India's $86.5bn [£64.7bn] in annual goods exports to the US stand to become commercially unviable if these rates sustain. Most Indian exporters have said they can barely absorb a 10-15% rise, so a combined 50% tariff is far beyond their effective, the tariff would be similar to "a trade embargo, and will lead to a sudden stop in affected export products," Japanese brokerage firm Nomura said in a note. The US is India's top export market, making up 18% of exports and 2.2% of GDP. A 25% tariff could cut GDP by 0.2–0.4%, risking growth slipping below 6% this year. India's electronics and pharma exports remain exempt from additional tariffs for now, but the impact would be felt in India domestically "with labour-intensive exports like textiles and gems and jewelry taking the fall", Priyanka Kishore of Asia Decoded, a Singapore-based consultancy told the BBC. Rakesh Mehra of Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (Citi) called the tariffs a "huge setback" for India's textile exporters, saying they will sharply weaken competitiveness in the US tensions now escalating, experts have called Trump's decision a high-stakes gamble. India is not the only buyer of Russian oil - there are China and Turkey as well - yet Washington has chosen to target a country widely regarded as a key what changed and what could be the fallout? India's former central bank governor Urjit Patel said that India's "worst fears" have materialised with the recent announcement. "One hopes that this is short term, and that talks around a trade deal slated to make progress this month will go ahead. Otherwise, a needless trade war, whose contours are difficult to gauge at this early juncture, will likely ensue," Mr Patel wrote in a LinkedIn post. The damaging impact of the tariffs is why few expect them to last. With new rates starting 27 August, the next 20 days are critical - India's moves in this bargaining window will be closely watched by anxious key question is whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government will quietly abandon trading ties with Russia to avoid the "Russia penalty" or stand firm against the US."India's efforts to reduce its dependence on Russian military hardware and diversify its oil imports predate pressure from the Trump administration, so Delhi may be able to offer some conciliatory gestures in line with its existing foreign policy behaviour," according to Dr Chietigj Bajpaee of Chatham House. He says the relationship is in a "managed decline", losing Cold War-era strategic importance, but Russia will remain a key partner for India for the foreseeable some experts believe Trump's recent actions give India an opportunity to rethink its strategic ties. If anything the US's actions could "push India to reconsider its strategic alignment, deepening ties with Russia, China, and many other countries", says Ajay Srivastava of the the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), a Delhi-based think will visit China for the regional Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit - his first since the deadly 2020 Galwan border clashes. Some suggest a revival of India-Russia-China trilateral talks may be on the immediate focus is on August trade talks, as a US team visits India. Negotiations stalled earlier over agriculture and dairy - sectors where the US demands greater access, but India holds there be concessions in areas like dairy and farming that India has been staunchly protecting or could the political cost be too high?The other big question: What's next for India's rising appeal as a China-plus-one destination for nations and firms looking to diversify their supply chains and investments?Trump's tariffs risk slowing momentum as countries like Vietnam offer lower tariffs. Experts say the impact on investor sentiment may be limited. India is still courting firms like Apple, which makes a big chunk of its phones locally, and has been largely shielded since semiconductors aren't taxed under the new tariffs. Experts will also be watching what India does to support its exporters."India's government so far has not favoured direct subsidies to exporters, but its current proposed programmes of favourable trade financing and export promotion may not be enough to tackle the impact of such a wide tariff differential," according to stakes high, trade experts say only top-level diplomacy can revive a trade deal that seemed within reach just weeks now the Indian government has put up a strong front, saying it will take "all actions necessary to protect its national interests". The opposition has upped the ante with senior Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi calling Trump's 50% tariffs "economic blackmail" and "an attempt to bully India into an unfair trade deal".Is Modi's touted "mega partnership" with the US now his biggest foreign policy test? And will India hit back?Retaliation by India is unlikely but not impossible, says Barclays Research, because there is precedent."In 2019, India announced tariffs on 28 US products, including US apples and almonds, in response to the US tariffs on steel and aluminium. Some of these tariffs were eventually reversed in 2023, following the resolution of WTO disputes," Barclays Research said in a note. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
Belfast Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Trump could meet Putin as soon as next week, White House official says
US President Donald Trump could meet in person with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as next week as he seeks to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, a White House official said. The official cautioned that a meeting has not been scheduled yet and no location has been determined. The official was not authorised to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss internal plans. The White House said Mr Trump was also open to a meeting with both Mr Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
