Okpabi and others (Appellants) v. Royal Dutch Shell Plc and another (Respondents)

Enforcement of the Decision and Outcomes

The case will be remitted to the High Court for trial, Shell having now confirmed that it is abandoning its remaining challenges to jurisdiction.

Significance of the Case

This case reaffirms that communities impacted by UK-based multinational corporations and their subsidiaries can sue those corporations in British courts. The Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the legal frameworks available to hold multinational corporations accountable for human rights abuses around the world. In rejecting a restrictive, control-focused test for corporate liability, the Court reaffirmed its ruling in Vedanta that liability may arise through, inter alia, group policy frameworks, supervision of subsidiary activity, or public undertakings. Ultimately, this judgment provides claimants newfound hope in the fight against corporate impunity and broadens the pathways to corporate accountability in British courts.

Groups Involved in the Case

• Members International Commission of Jurists and Corporate Responsibility (CORE) Coalition Limited filed a written intervention in the case
• Corner House Research filed a written intervention in the case