Steinhoff has approached South Africa's highest court on an urgent basis in a bid to stop a lower court from continuing to hear an application to have it liquidated.
The retailer on Monday lodged an application for leave to appeal an earlier ruling of the Western Cape High Court that found it has jurisdiction to hear the winding-up case. Steinhoff is arguing the ruling was wrong in law and deals with new legal matters not yet tested before a court.
While the apex court is not the usual first port of call to dispute a high court ruling, Steinhoff's move is an indication of how seriously the retailer is taking the matter. It already filed a similar bid with the Supreme Court of Appeal.