Supreme Court to hear argument on whether corporations can be held liable as accomplices in violations of international law
The Supreme Court will hear oral argument in Cisco Systems v. Doe, a case involving allegations that Cisco aided the Chinese government in developing a surveillance system used to target Falun Gong practitioners. The case centers on whether corporations can be held liable under the Alien Tort Statute for aiding and abetting human-rights violations.
The Supreme Court will hear oral argument in Cisco Systems v. Doe, a case involving allegations that Cisco Systems aided the Chinese government in developing a surveillance system used to target, detain, and torture Falun Gong practitioners. The Alien Tort Statute, enacted nearly 240 years ago, allows foreigners to bring lawsuits in U.S. courts for serious violations of international law. Plaintiffs have increasingly relied on the ATS to bring lawsuits against corporations for their role in aiding and abetting human-rights violations by foreign governments. The case pits Cisco Systems against a group of Chinese and U.S. citizens. In 2004, the Supreme Court limited the kinds of claims that could be brought under the ATS, ruling that it only gives courts the power to hear cases alleging a 'narrow set of violations of the law of nations'.
This content was automatically generated and/or translated by AI. It may contain inaccuracies. Please refer to the original sources for verification.