Historical Origin
Scholars and jurists seem to find a Scottish origin prior to the first American use of the concept. Some writers see the doctrine of FNC as having developed from an earlier doctrine of forum non competens ("non-competent forum"). Many early cases in the U.S. and Scotland involving FNC were cases under admiralty law. FNC thus may ultimately have a civil law origin, as has been asserted by several writers, since admiralty law is based in civil law concepts.
The doctrine of FNC originated in the United States in Willendson v Forsoket 29 Fed Cas 1283 (DC Pa 1801) (No 17,682) where a federal district court in Pennsylvania declined to exercise jurisdiction over a Danish sea captain who was being sued for back wages by a Danish seaman, stating that "f any differences should hereafter arise, it must be settled by a Danish tribunal." In Scotland, the concept is first recorded in MacMaster v MacMaster (Judgment of 7 June 1833, Sess, Scot 11 Sess Cas, First Series 685.)
Read more about this topic: Forum Non Conveniens, Explanation
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