Supreme Court Limits Application of Alien Tort Statute and TVPA

The Supreme Court has issued a ruling in *Cisco Systems, Inc. v. Doe*, restricting the ability of federal courts to establish new causes of action under the Alien Tort Statute for international norm violations. The decision also absolved Cisco Systems and its executives from liability under both the ATS and the Torture Victim Protection Act for alleged aiding and abetting in a case involving persecution by the Chinese Government. This ruling narrows the scope of these human rights statutes.