Beyond the Alien Tort Claims Act: Alternative Approaches to Attributing Liability to Corporations for Extraterritorial Abuses

34 Pages Posted: 3 Oct 2007

See all articles by Barnali Choudhury

Barnali Choudhury

University College London - Faculty of Laws; York University - Osgoode Hall Law School

Abstract

Whereas in the past a corporation's sole responsibility was to maximize profits, it is currently accepted that multinational corporations (MNCs) should be held accountable for human rights abuses. However, there is currently no mechanism that effectively holds MNC's accountable for violations. A number of alleged victims of corporate abuse have tried litigating claims in U.S. courts, most under the Alien Tort Claims Act (ACTA). However, these attempts have been mostly unsuccessful, and the ACTA's effectiveness in holding MNC's accountable has been severely weakened by the Supreme Court's decision in Sosa v. Alvarez as well as by executive orders. This paper examines solutions to this problem, first domestically, in the courts of specific countries, and then internationally, such as in the International Criminal Court and various other specialized tribunals.

Keywords: human rights, corporations, alien tort claims act

Suggested Citation

Choudhury, Barnali, Beyond the Alien Tort Claims Act: Alternative Approaches to Attributing Liability to Corporations for Extraterritorial Abuses. Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business, Vol. 26, No. 43, 2005, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1018207

Barnali Choudhury (Contact Author)

University College London - Faculty of Laws ( email )

Bentham House, Endsleigh Gardens
London, WC1E OEG
United Kingdom

York University - Osgoode Hall Law School ( email )

4700 Keele Street
Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3
Canada

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