1,800 Zambians can sue Vedanta says UK Supreme Court

Tuesday 16th April 2019 12:34 EDT
 

The UK's Supreme Court has ruled that thousands of Zambian villagers can now legally sue mining company Vedanta in the courts in London over alleged pollution in Zambia.

The Supreme Court's verdict comes amidst concerns raised by the claimants, who are all living in poverty, and would struggle to access justice in Zambia, a country that does not permit “no-win, no-fee” arrangements for claimants to pay legal fees.

The Court has said that the lawsuit brought by 1,800 Zambian villagers can be heard in London despite arguments by Vedanta that the case should be tried by the Zambian courts.

The ruling is significant because it paves the way for more environmental claims to be brought in London against large multinationals with global operations — particularly from claimants living in poorer countries where there is a difficulty in accessing legal funding.

The ruling also indicates that companies have a duty of care to third parties for the commitments they make publicly regarding their subsidiaries.


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