Eadie said that the courts have some oversight of whether its decisions are proportionate but that the Foreign Office had broad authority to impose sanctions, a regime whose effectiveness depends on the cumulative effect of each individual measure.
The appeal is being heard over two days, with linked proceedings involving a super yacht in London that has been frozen as an asset to be heard by justices on Thursday.
Justices Robert Reed, Philip Sales, George Leggatt, Vivian Rose, and David Richards appeared for the court.
Shvidler is represented by David Anderson KC and Malcolm Birdling of Brick Court Chambers, instructed by Peters & Peters LLP.
The government is represented by James Eadie KC, Jason Pobjoy, and Rayan Fakhoury of Blackstone Chambers, instructed by the government legal department.
The case is Eugene Shvidler v. Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, case number UKSC/2024/0055, in the U.K. Supreme Court.
