Alien Tort Statute (28 U.S.C. § 1350) and Torture Victim Protection Act 1991 (US)

Summary

ATS grants US district courts jurisdiction over civil actions by aliens for torts committed in violation of the law of nations; TVPA creates a federal cause of action against individuals for torture and extrajudicial killing under colour of foreign law.

Relevance to the diaspora

Historical mechanism for civil accountability suits against foreign officials present in the US; narrowed by Kiobel (2013) and Jesner (2018) but TVPA remains available against natural persons.

Key provisions

• ATS jurisdiction over law-of-nations torts
• TVPA cause of action for torture and extrajudicial killing
• Exhaustion of remedies requirement

Primary source

Related entries

• → Universal Jurisdiction — UK Criminal Justice Act 1988 s.134 (Torture), International Criminal Court Act 2001 (UK)
• → Universal Jurisdiction — Swiss Criminal Code / VStGB equivalent (Switzerland and Germany) (CH)
• → UN Convention Against Torture (UNCAT) 1984 (UN)