By Greg Stohr – Mar 5, 2012 8:14 PM GMT
The U.S. Supreme Court ordered a second round of arguments in a case that might shield multinational companies, including Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA), from suits accusing them of complicity in human-rights abuses.
The justices today expanded their review of a lawsuit that claims Shell units played a role in torture and execution in Nigeria in the 1990s. The court said in a one-paragraph order that it will consider whether the two-century-old Alien Tort Statute can be invoked for alleged wrongdoing that occurs beyond the U.S. borders.
Multinational companies have faced dozens of suits accusing them of involvement in human rights violations, environmental misconduct and labor abuses. Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM), Coca-Cola Co. (KO), Pfizer Inc. (PFE), Unocal Corp (UCL)., Chevron Corp. (CVX) and Ford Motor Co. (F) have all been sued under either the Alien Tort Statute or a related law, known as the Torture Victim Protection Act.
When the justices heard arguments in the Shell case last week, they focused on whether the Alien Tort Statute allowed suits against corporations. Several justices, including Samuel Alito, suggested during the argument that they were more interested in considering contentions that the law cant be applied overseas.
A ruling on the so-called extraterritoriality issue would potentially impose more sweeping limits on lawsuits, shielding corporate officers as well as the companies themselves.
The courts briefing schedule means the new argument will take place during the nine-month term that starts in October.
The justices also are considering whether companies and organizations can be sued under the Torture Victim Protection Act. That case, which isnt affected by todays order, involves a suit against the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian Liberation Organization filed by the sons and widow of a U.S. citizen allegedly tortured and murdered in the West Bank.
The case is Kiobel v. Shell Petroleum, 10-1491.
To contact the reporter on this story: Greg Stohr in Washington at [email protected]
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Steven Komarow at [email protected]
This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
