Historic Lawsuits Against Multinational Companies for Involvement in Human Rights Abuses During South Africa Apartheid Survive Motion to Dismiss

Decisión Histórica: se da curso 

a demanda en contra de companías 

multinacionales por complicidad 

en crímenes internacionales cometidos 

durante el régimen de Apartheid 

en Sudáfrica

Cases will now move forward against companies including General Motors, Ford, Daimler, and International Business Machines (IBM) for aiding and abetting torture, extrajudicial killing, denationalization programs, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment

New York, NY - A U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York has ruled today that historic lawsuits against multinational corporations alleging involvement in human rights abuses during South African apartheid can move forward. Judge Shira Scheindlin released her decision in Ntsebeza, et al. v. Daimler AG, et al. andKhulumani, et al., v. Barclays National Bank LTD., et al., this afternoon, ruling that the claims brought against Defendants General Motors, Ford, Daimler and IBM can proceed. 

The suit was brought on behalf of classes of South Africans, who allege that they or their relatives suffered extrajudicial killings, torture, arbitrary denationalization, and the crime of apartheid because of actions of the defendant companies.

In her ruling, Judge Scheindlin ruled that the claims made against General Motors, Ford, and Daimler in the Ntsebeza case alleging the aiding and abetting of torture, cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, extrajudicial killing, and apartheid can continue. Judge Scheindlin also ruled that a claim against IBM alleging the aiding and abetting of arbitrary denationalization and apartheid could move forward. The ruling affirms that corporations have specific obligations under the law of nations not to be complicit in human rights violations.

“In this case, the expertise and products of General Motors, Ford, Daimler, and IBM led to violations of human rights under apartheid in South Africa,” said Paul Hoffman, a partner with Schonbrun De Simone Seplow Harris and Hoffman LLP and lead attorney for the plaintiffs. “These companies aided the apartheid regime by providing armored military vehicles to violently suppress and terrorize South Africa’s black population, and provided race-based identity documents that stripped black South Africans of their nationality and citizenship.” 

The suits seek compensatory and punitive damages against defendant companies under the Alien Tort Statute (ATS), a U.S. law that allows civil actions to be brought against individuals or corporations for violations of international law. The case will now proceed to the discovery phase. 

“This decision is a victory in the process to get compensation for the South African victims of human rights abuse under the apartheid regime,” said Diane Sammons, a partner with Nagel Rice LLP and an attorney for the plaintiffs. 

“The corporate sector was an active participant in the brutality of the South African apartheid regime,” said Tyler Giannini, Clinical Director of Harvard Law School’s Human Rights Program and one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs. “This ruling sends a signal that corporations can be held accountable for contributing to human rights abuses around the globe.” 

The legal team for the plaintiffs includes Paul Hoffman of Schonbrun, DeSimone, Seplow, Harris and Hoffman; Jay Rice and Diane Sammons with Nagel Rice, LLP; attorney Judith Brown Chomsky of the law offices of Judith Brown Chomsky; Tyler Giannini from the International Human Rights Clinic at Harvard Law School; advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza, with Duma Nokwe Group of Advocates in South Africa; attorney John Ngcebetsha, with Ngcebetsha Madlanga Attorneys in South Africa; Helen I. Zeldes of Zeldes and Haeggquist LLP; advocate Michael Francis Osbourne; and attorney Medi Mokuena, lawyer with Mokuena Attorneys in South Africa. 

Harvard Law students that have worked on this case, under the supervision of Clinical Director Tyler Giannini and Clinical Instructor Susan Farbstein, include: Cori Crider (J.D. '06), Sarah Knuckey (LL.M. '06), Nathan Ela (J.D. '07), Andrew Woods (J.D. '07), Sarah Rice (J.D. '07), Kelsey Shannon (J.D. '07), Amanda Perwin (J.D. '07), Jillian Ashley (J.D. '07), Yvonne Osirim (J.D. '07), Jose Klein (J.D. '08), David Zionts (J.D. '08), Jonathan Jenkins (J.D. '08), Meghan Morris (J.D. '08), Andrew McIntyre (LL.M. '08), Wieli Shaw (J.D. '09), Tom Davies (J.D. '09), Matthew Bugher (J.D. '09), Katherine Glenn (J.D. '09), Katherine Currie (J.D. '09), Patrick Childress (J.D. '09), Julianne Stevenson (LL.M. '09), Kate Allan (LL.M. '09), Leigh Sylvan (J.D. '10), Leigh Ann Webster (J.D. '10), Alexia DeVincentis (J.D. '10), Esti Tambay (J.D. '10), Aarti Reddy (J.D. '10), and Claret Vargas (J.D. '10). 

For more information or media interviews, please contact Paul Hoffman at 310-717-7373, Diane Sammons at 973-618-0400 (ex. 134), Jay Rice at 973-618-0400 (ex. 131), Tyler Giannini at 617-669-2340, or Michael Jones at 617-495-9214 or mijones@law.harvard.edu.