Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co.

E390990

Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. is a landmark 2013 U.S. Supreme Court case that limited the extraterritorial application of the Alien Tort Statute in human rights lawsuits against corporations for conduct occurring abroad.

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Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. canonical 2
Kiobel 1

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Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Alien Tort Statute case
United States Supreme Court case
human rights case
areaOfLaw Alien Tort Statute
federal jurisdiction
international human rights law
arguedDate 2011-10-01
chiefJusticeAtDecision John G. Roberts, Jr.
linked to: John G. Roberts Jr.
citation 569 U.S. 108 (2013)
concurrenceBy Anthony M. Kennedy
Clarence Thomas
Samuel A. Alito, Jr.
linked to: Samuel A. Alito Jr.

Stephen G. Breyer
concurrenceJoinedBy Elena Kagan
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Sonia Sotomayor
countryOfCourt United States
court Supreme Court of the United States
decisionDate 2013-04-17
defendant Royal Dutch Petroleum Co.
linked to: Royal Dutch Shell

Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, Ltd.
linked to: Shell Nigeria

Shell Transport and Trading Company, p.l.c.
docketNumber 10-1491
fullName Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co.
holding Claims under the Alien Tort Statute must sufficiently touch and concern the territory of the United States to displace the presumption against extraterritoriality.
The Alien Tort Statute does not generally provide jurisdiction for suits based on conduct occurring entirely in foreign territory.
The presumption against extraterritoriality applies to claims under the Alien Tort Statute.
impact Established the "touch and concern" test for ATS claims involving foreign conduct.
Significantly limited the use of the Alien Tort Statute for human rights lawsuits based on foreign conduct.
issue Whether and under what circumstances the Alien Tort Statute allows courts to recognize causes of action for violations of international law occurring within the territory of a sovereign other than the United States.
Whether corporations can be held liable under the Alien Tort Statute for violations of international law.
lowerCourt United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
lowerCourtHolding The Alien Tort Statute does not confer jurisdiction over claims against corporations for violations of customary international law.
majorityJoinedBy Anthony M. Kennedy
Antonin Scalia
Clarence Thomas
Elena Kagan
Samuel A. Alito, Jr.
linked to: Samuel A. Alito Jr.

Sonia Sotomayor
majorityOpinionBy John G. Roberts, Jr.
linked to: John G. Roberts Jr.
originatingCountryOfClaims Nigeria
plaintiff Esther Kiobel
other Nigerian nationals
rearguedDate 2012-10-01
result Judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed.
shortName Kiobel
statuteCitation 28 U.S.C. § 1350
statuteInterpreted Alien Tort Statute
topic corporate liability for human rights violations
extraterritoriality

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Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

October Term 2012 includesCase Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co.
Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. fullName Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co.
Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. shortName Kiobel
linked to: Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co.