US Supreme Court limits extraterritorial lawsuits, ruling foreign plaintiffs cannot sue domestic firms over overseas human rights abuses.
WASHINGTON— In a landmark decision that severely limits the extraterritorial reach of the American judiciary, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that foreign plaintiffs cannot use historic federal human rights laws to sue American corporations for allegedly aiding and abetting abuses committed on foreign soil.
The 6–3 ruling in Cisco Systems, Inc. v. Doe represents a massive victory for domestic technology leaders, defense contractors, and multinational enterprises. By shutting down these types of lawsuits, the high court has effectively insulated U.S. companies from civil tort liability in federal courts stemming from commercial partnerships, hardware sales, and technical support provided to authoritarian governments abroad.