The Council of the EU on March 27 appointed Stephane Gervasoni and Dean Spielmann, respectively, a judge and advocate-general to the EU Court of Justice, the council announced. Gervasoni previously served on the EU General Court; Spielman is a past president of the European Court of Human Rights. The council also reappointed Thomas von Danwitz and Ineta Ziemele judges and Jean Richard de la Tour an advocate-general of the Court of Justice. All appointments were issued under the court's 2024 partial renewal, for terms running Oct. 7, 2024, through Oct. 6, 2030.

The U.K. Court of Appeal last week ruled that sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska wasn't in contempt of court for allegedly breaching a commitment to the court that he wouldn't move to procure British Virgin Island-based B-Finance to dispose of his shares of Jersey company EN+ in an arbitration suit.

The EU General Court on March 20 annulled the sanctions listing of tire maker Belshyna AAT, finding that the company wasn't a significant source of revenue for the Belarusian government.

The EU General Court on March 20 annuled the sanctions listing of former Formula One driver Nikita Mazepin, saying the link between Mazepin and his father -- sanctioned Russian oligarch Dmitry Mazepin -- is insufficient for the driver's listing on the Russia sanctions regime.

The Council of the EU on March 19 approved reform efforts for the EU Court of Justice, transferring jurisdiction of various issues to the EU General Court. The council must now approve amendments to both courts' rules of procedure before the changes take effect.

A lawsuit between the trustee of a Russian businessman and his "long term" partner will go to trial after the U.K. High Court of Justice on March 13 declined to dismiss their defense, setting up a case that could shed light on the role sanctioned parties play in property disputes.

A U.K. law firm this week warned about sanctions risks tied to property purchases, saying one of its lawyers had to first obtain approval from a U.K. bank before a British-Iranian client could buy property in the U.K.

The German Federal Prosecutor's Office filed charges last month against a German national and a Russian national for illicitly exporting drone parts to Russia, the office announced March 5, according to an unofficial translation.

The European General Court in a pair of decisions on March 6 rejected challenges to the EU's restrictions on wood and iron and steel products from Belarus. The court, in virtually identical opinions, rejected a trio of claims from Belarusian wood company AAT Mostovdrev and iron and steel company AAT Byelorussian Steel Works challenging the European Council's reasons for imposing the restrictions and infringement of the right to "effective judicial protection," alleged failure to observe the "principle of equal treatment," and imposition of measures disproportionately affecting the wood and iron and steel industries.

An British court of appeals declined to hear one appeal, and found in favor of the government in another, in cases regarding U.K. sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.