Supreme Court Limits Foreigners' Access to U.S. Federal Courts for International Law Claims

The Supreme Court has issued a ruling that restricts the scope for non-U.S. citizens to initiate lawsuits in federal courts concerning alleged violations of international law. The decision clarifies that the 1789 Alien Tort Statute applies only to a narrow range of claims from its original enactment. Furthermore, the 1991 Torture Victims Protection Act does not cover claims against those who allegedly aid and abet torture.