Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and owner of Dalham Hall stud in Newmarket, is challenging the Supreme Court over a ruling in his legal battle with his estranged wife.
The royal founded Godolphin thoroughbred horse racing and breeding, which runs the Suffolk stud, alongside his duties as Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates.
The royal founded Godolphin thoroughbred horse racing and breeding, which runs the Suffolk stud, alongside his duties as Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates.
The 70-year-old has applied directly to the Supreme Court to appeal against a decision made by the Court of Appeal last week to allow the publication of rulings by the president of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane.
His two rulings relate to "certain disputed factual issues" and "issues arising out of the special position of (Sheikh Mohammed) as the sovereign and head of government of a foreign state".
Lord Justice Underhill said that it was "the unanimous decision of the court" to dismiss Sheikh Mohammed's appeal at the hearing in London on Friday February 28.
The Court of Appeal refused the Sheikh's application to appeal to the Supreme Court. However, it gave him until 4pm on Tuesday March 3 to do so directly.
A spokeswoman for the royal has confirmed that he has lodged an application to block the publication of two judgemnents made by Sir Andrew McFarlane and it will be referred to three Supreme Court justices - Lord Hodge, Lord Wilson and Lady Black - and that the court is "aware of the urgency of this matter".
Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein is the sixth wife of Sheikh Mohammed and has been estranged from him since she reportedly fled Dubai last year with their two children.
The 45-year-old, half-sister of King Abdullah II of Jordan, has applied for the children to be made wards of the court after her husband ordered for their summary return to Dubai.
She has also applied for a forced marriage protection order in relation to one of the children and a non-molestation order.
At the hearing at the Court of Appeal on Wednesday Feburary 26, Lord Justice Underhill said Sheikh Mohammed's legal team argued that Sir Andrew's decision to publish the judgments was "wrong in law and that the judgments should not be published, if at all, in advance of the welfare hearing" later in March.
He added that Sheikh Mohammed's appeal was opposed by Princess Haya, the independent guardian appointed by the court to represent the children's interests, and by a number of media organisations.
The appeal itself "raises questions both about what is in the best interests of the children and about how to balance that, if necessary, against the right of the press to report matters of public interest".
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