The case, to be held at Delaware Chancery Court, will delay the completion of the sale to the Barclay brothers, due by the end of this month, who last week seemed to have won the race for the titles.

Hollinger Inc, the Canadian holding company of Telegraph Group owner Hollinger International, said that the sale required shareholder approval because its "UK assets represent the substantial majority of its value".

In a statement, Lord Black's Hollinger Inc said: "We do not believe that Hollinger International should be allowed to disenfranchise shareholders and deny them their fundamental legal rights."

The Barclay brothers thought they had won the battle to buy The Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph and The Spectator on Tuesday last week.

But the court challenge will delay a conclusion to the deal, and prolong uncertainty on future ownership of West Ferry, which is jointly owned by the Telegraph Group and Express Newspapers.

Under a 'change of control' clause in the print work's ownership deal, Express owner Richard Desmond is likely to mount a bid to buy out the Telegraph Group.

From the day the sale of the Telegraph is concluded, Desmond will have 42 days in which to trigger the clause.

The press baron attempted to trigger the clause to buy out the Telegraph's share in the printer in February.