WHAT
Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Shell: Human Rights Law at a Crossroads
WHEN
Thursday, September 27, 2012, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m.
WHERE
Georgetown University Law Center
Hart Auditorium, McDonough Hall
600 New Jersey Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
PANELISTS
Baher Azmy, Legal Director, Center for Constitutional Rights
Carey R. D’Avino, Attorney, Eaton & Van Winkle LLP
Carlos Mauricio, Center for Justice and Accountability Plaintiff, Romagoza Arce v. Garcia and Vides Casanova
Katie Redford, Esq., Co-Founder and U.S. Office Director, EarthRights International
Ralph Steinhardt, Professor, George Washington University Law School
Peter Weiss, Vice President, Center for Constitutional Rights
NOTE
On the eve of the Supreme Court argument in Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Shell, the participants will examine the future of the Alien Tort Statute (ATS), an important tool for holding corporations, governments and individuals accountable for international human rights violations.
In September 2010, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit decided in Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Shell (a case against Shell for human rights abuses in Nigeria) that corporations could not be sued under the ATS. This decision was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court and argued in February.
During the argument, the justices questioned not just the application of the ATS to corporations, but under what circumstances the ATS applies to abuses taking place outside the US. They later ordered the case to be re-argued on this question. The re-argument is set for October 1, 2012.
This conference is sponsored by the Georgetown Law Human Rights Institute, Center for Constitutional Rights, EarthRights International, Center for Justice and Accountability, Human Rights First and the International Corporate Accountability Roundtable.
Media interested in attending should e-mail [email protected].
About Georgetown Law
Georgetown University Law Center is one of the world´s premier law schools. It is pre-eminent in several areas, including constitutional, international, tax and clinical law, and the faculty is among the largest in the nation. Drawing on its Jesuit heritage, it has a strong tradition of public service and is dedicated to the principle that law is but a means, justice is the end.
Media Contact
Kara Tershel, (202) 662-9037
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: 
MORE DETAILS:
A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
