Russia has been held liable for human rights abuses of local authorities in Transnistria, a region of Moldova under its effective control.
Nicaragua brought a case before the International Court of Justice complaining of US involvement during its civil war. It argued that the US was responsible for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by a paramilitary group called the “Contras” because of the level of control it had over the group. Although the ICJ found […]
A complaint was brought to the UN Human Rights Committee for inhumane conditions in a detention centre in Australia that was run by a private contractor. The HRC held that the contracting out to the private sector of core State activities involving the use of force and the detention of persons does not absolve a […]
The Inter-American Court on Human Rights held Guatemala liable for its failure to protect street children from abuse and provide for their well-being. The Court ordered Guatemala to pay compensation, establish a school for street children, and provide for their social care and security generally.
In the European Court on Human Rights, Kurdish villagers successfully brought a case against the Turkish government for forcefully removing them from and destroying their homes. The Court ordered Turkey to pay compensation and stop their practices of forceful eviction.
At international law, the circumstances when you may be able to hold the state responsible for an action is governed by a concept called “State Responsibility“. This sets out the circumstances when an action or an individual or body can be attributed to the State as a whole.
In English courts, Cambodian villagers are suing Tate & Lyle (a sugar giant) for the alleged acts of a Cambodian sugar company who violently evicted the villagers from their rightful lands. The contracts Tate & Lyle have with these companies and the profits they have made from the sale of their sugar mean they could be […]
In Germany and the Democratic Republic of Congo, cases are being brought against senior management of a Swiss-German timber company (Danzer) for financial and logistical support they gave Congolese security forces as they committed war crimes against local villagers.
In Papua New-Guinea, courts have allowed BHP Billiton, a mining giant, to be sued for the environmental devastation caused by its predecessor, BHP.
In US and Ecuadorian courts, farmers have sued DynCorp (a private contractor the US and Colombian government authorised under a plan to eradicate drug production) for its widespread use of toxic anti-drug sprays which caused local farmers severe physical and property damage.
