The Alien Tort Statute, Corporate Liability for Human Rights Abuses and the Supreme Court

The International Corporate Accountability Roundtable (“ICAR”) is a coalition of leading human rights organizations working to identify and promote robust frameworks for corporate accountability, strengthen current measures and defend existing laws, policies, and legal precedents. We, along with the Human Rights Institute at the Georgetown University Law Center, invite you to a panel discussion with leading experts on the issue of corporate liability for human rights abuses.

On February 28th, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum, reviewing whether the Alien Tort Statute (“ATS”), which allows lawsuits in U.S. courts for violations of international law, also creates a legal basis for suits against corporations.

The decision will have a major effect on the future of U.S. litigation against corporations for extraterritorial human rights impacts and also on our notions of corporate liability for human rights abuses more generally. Please join us for a timely and important discussion.

Panelists:

Paul Hoffman, Counsel for Plaintiffs in Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum
Harold Koh (invited), Legal Adviser, US Department of State
Elisa Massimino, President and CEO, Human Rights First

Moderator:

Marco Simons, Legal Director, EarthRights International

Date: February 29, 2012
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:20 pm
Location: Hart Auditorium, Georgetown University Law Center,
600 New Jersey Ave NW
(Closest Metro Stop: Union Station or Judiciary Square)

Boxed lunches will be provided.

Please RSVP by February 27th, 2012 to katie@accountabilityroundtable.org

For more information about ICAR, please contact Amol Mehra, ICAR Coordinator at amol@accountabilityroundtable.org or visit us online at www.accountabilityroundtable.org