The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the dismissal of a suit accusing Royal Dutch Shell PLC of aiding in human rights abuses, further limiting plaintiffs' ability to bring claims against companies for actions that occur on foreign soil. Here, attorneys tell Law360 why the unanimous ruling in Kiobel et al. v. Royal Dutch Petroleum et al. is important.
Jerry S. Goldman tells Law360 why the unanimous ruling in Kiobel et al. v. Royal Dutch Petroleum et al. is important:
"Sadly, the Supreme Court’s decision reflects a growing tendency of certain activist judges to reinterpret legislation to restrict the traditional broad access to American courts of victims of serious injuries. Fortunately, a majority of the justices agreed that U.S. courts can adjudicate extraterritorial actions in certain types of cases. As the world grows smaller, and participants operate globally, U.S. courts cannot allow perpetrators to use their individual locales to shield them from accountability. Given the lack of alternative forums for seeking vindication of these harms, it is critical that U.S. courts remain open and available in the pursuit of justice."