NEVER SEND TO KNOW ..., COMENTARIO CRÍTICO A LA SENTENCIA JESNER V. ARAB BANK, DEL TRIBUNAL SUPREMO DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS. (Never Send to Know...A Critical Comment of the USSC Decision in the Jesner V. Arab Bank Case)

Abstract

Spanish Abstract: En estas páginas, que reflejan en lo fundamental nuestra Ponencia conjunta al IV
Seminario Internacional UJI/URV Sobre Empresas y DDHH, (Castellón, Octubre de 2018),
proponemos nuestras reflexiones críticas, desde la perspectiva del Derecho internacional
privado, en torno a la sentencia del Tribunal Supremo de los Estados Unidos en el caso Jesner v.
Arab Bank, que ha sentado un precedente importante en el proceso de restricción del acceso a
los tribunales de los Estados Unidos en litigios sobre violaciones de los Derechos Humanos,
haciéndolos imposibles respecto de las empresas extranjeras y, probablemente, preparando el
terreno para que suceda lo propio con las domésticas. Gracias a una lectura historicista del Alien
Tort Claims Act (ATS o ATCA), el Alto Tribunal afirma que ni el tenor literal del texto ni los
precedentes apoyan una excepción a los principios generales, deduciendo que debe ser el Poder
Legislativo el que considere si el interés público podría servirse en caso de imponer nuevas
responsabilidades sustantivas y, entre ellas, una norma que impusiese responsabilidad sobre
entidades artificiales como las empresas. De todo lo cual deduce que “.…sería inapropiado que
los tribunales extendiesen la responsabilidad bajo el ATS a las empresas extranjeras, a salvo de
una acción en tal sentido a cargo del Congreso”.

English Abstract: All along these pages that basically are a reflection of our joint presentation carried out within the framework of the IV International Seminar UJI/URV on Corporations and Human Rights (Castellon, October, 2018), we propose our critical insights, from the International private law perspective, of the ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States in the case Jesner v. Arab Bank. This judgment has set an important precedent in relation with the process of access restriction to courts in the United States as far as international disputes involving serious infringements on Human Rights are concerned, making them impossible with regard to foreign corporations, and probably setting the land for this to happen with domestic ones as well. Due to a historical reading of the Alien Tort Claims act (ATS or ATCA), the High Court states that neither the literal wording of the text nor the precedents support an exception to the general principles, reaching the conclusion that it falls within the scope of the Legislative Power to consider whether the public interest could be a resource in the event that new substantive responsibilities were imposed and, among them, a rule requiring liability over artificial entities as it happens with companies. It therefore follows that "…it would be inappropriate that courts might enlarge the field of action of responsibility following the application of ATS to foreign corporations, except by action arising out of Congress in the same direction".

Note: Downloadable document is in Spanish.

Keywords: Transnational Companies, Human Rights, Transnational Litigations, Alien Tort Claims Act, United States - Jesner