Corporations ask US Supreme Court for immunity for human rights abuses

Another news story emphasizing the need for Americans to pay attention to the presidential elections, as the next president could appoint several Supreme Court justices.

From NewsDaily:

For more than three decades survivors of human rights abuses in foreign countries have turned to U.S. federal courts to seek justice. On Monday the U.S. Supreme Court hears a case that could make that impossible.

The case pits a Nigerian widow against a multinational oil company. Esther Kiobel and others say Royal Dutch Petroleum (Shell) helped the Nigerian government commit human rights violations against her husband, who was executed in 1995. Shell has denied the allegations and argues that cases involving foreign governments committing atrocities in their own countries do not belong in the U.S. court system at all.

That the justices are considering the sweeping question of whether an entire class of lawsuits can be heard in the United States can be traced to briefs filed by three lawyers whose clients aren't even involved in the case.

... A ruling against Kiobel could wipe out lawsuits [under the Alien Tort Statute] pending against companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp, Rio Tinto Plc and Nestle, which are accused by private plaintiffs of helping governments violate human rights in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Ivory Coast, respectively.

... (read the entire story)

Tags: Alien Tort Statute, BP, Caterpillar, Chevron, Conoco, Exxon Mobil, General Electric, Honeywell, IBM, Nestle, More…Shell, Supreme Court, U.S. Supreme Court, abuses, atrocities, corporations, human rights, justice, unelected corporate government

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tammy S on October 1, 2012 at 1:57pm

6 Of these asshats went to a mass this weekend, wherein they were spoken to about the Catholic Church's stance against gay marriage and the theme was included in the mass. In other words, the church is seeking to legislate from the pulpit and should be taxed for breaking the law and Supreme Court Justices should be subject to the same disciplinary actions as other Federal court judges and should not be 'lifetime' appointees.

Permalink Reply by Ruth Anthony-Gardner on October 2, 2012 at 12:18pm

Great graphic, GrinningCat! This could be a blow for international justice. Another step in corporate destruction of the last shreds of democracy.

Permalink Reply by Grinning Cat on October 2, 2012 at 11:00pm

I wish I'd come up with that idea of the "new Supreme Court robes". It's on the web in many places, and quite apropos.

(Ruth, your visually rich communication has inspired me to make an effort to reinforce my posts with appropriate images, whether original, remixed, or simply borrowed.)

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