Human Rights Litigation against Multinationals in Practice

This book provides a thorough review of multinational human rights litigation in various countries where such litigation has been pursued, predominantly on behalf of victims in the Global South. It covers cases relating to environmental damage, occupational disease, human rights abuses involving complicity with state security, and in the context of supply chains. The volume is edited by Richard Meeran, who pioneered the first series of tort-based multinational parent company cases in the 1990s and whose firm, Leigh Day, has been at the forefront of this area for almost 30 years. Contributions come from highly experienced legal practitioners in the countries in question who have run many of the key ground-breaking cases, and who understand the opportunities and hurdles that arise in practice. They provide their perspectives and insights into the features of the relevant laws, procedures, and practical considerations in their respective legal systems. Chapters address the potential legal remedies that are available; the legal, procedural, and practical obstacles to justice including funding; as well as strategic issues. This developing area of corporate legal accountability has increasingly become an integral part of the field of business and human rights, which has grown significantly in recent decades. This collection is an essential guide to the field.

1 - The Litigation Landscape of Business and Human Rights
2 - Perspectives on the Development and Significance of Tort Litigation against Multinational Parent Companies
3 - Human Rights Litigation against Multinationals in Practice - Lessons from the United Kingdom
4 - Multinational Company Litigation - South Africa
5 - Liability of Multinational Corporations in Canada for International Human Rights Violations
6 - Civil Liability in Australia for International Human Rights Violations
7 - International Human Rights Litigation in the United States
8 - Foreign Direct Liability of Multinational Corporations in the Dutch Legal Order
9 - Human Rights Litigation against Multinational Companies in France
10 - Human Rights Litigation against Multinational Companies in Germany
11 - Multinational Human Rights Litigation from the Perspective of Business
12 - Litigation Funding: Practical Aspects

Richard Meeran is a Partner and Head of the International Department at Leigh Day. He was admitted as a Solicitor in England and Wales in 1988, and has practised in the field of multinational human rights litigation, representing victims, almost exclusively since 1994. During the 1990s, Richard pioneered the original cases based on parent company tort law duty of care. He has been a speaker at numerous international events on Business and Human Rights, including the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, the open ended intergovernmental working group on a legally binding instrument, the UN Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, the OECD, and UNICEF. He gave evidence to the Parliamentary Joint Select Committee on Human Rights, and was a member of the drafting team of The Hague Rules on Business and Human Rights Arbitration. He has published over 60 articles on multinational litigation.