Nigerian farmers and fishermen took their quest for justice over Shell oil spills in the Niger Delta to Britain's Supreme Court on Tuesday (June 23).
The Ogale and Bille communities say spills have polluted their lands and waters, damaging health and livelihoods and their lawyers say they want to pursue oil major Royal Dutch Shell and its Nigerian subsidiary in the UK because such cases can take decades to resolve in Nigeria.
The case hinges on whether British courts have jurisdiction over claims against Shell's Nigerian subsidiary, Shell Petroleum Development Company, which is jointly operated with the Nigerian government.
In 2018 a London court ruled that they did not. On Tuesday, the Niger Delta communities - covering some 42,500 people - appealed that decision, reopening the possibility that British multinationals be held liable at home for their subsidiaries' actions abroad.
Shell's subsidiary says "claims by Nigerian communities against a Nigerian company about events in Nigeria should be heard in Nigeria and not the UK," and that the spills are chiefly due to oil theft, sabotage and illegal refining.
Last year the Supreme Court ruled that Zambian villagers had the right to sue Indian-listed mining company Vedanta in England.
The Vedanta decision was frequently cited on Tuesday, as lawyers for the both sides contested whether the cases were similar.
A court spokeswoman said that a judgment is expected later this year or in early 2021.
