Article

1 Mar 2016

Leigh Day (UK)

Two new legal actions launched against Shell over Nigerian oil pollution

UK based oil giant Shell is facing fresh environmental claims in the London High Court from two Nigerian communities who allege they have suffered from repeated large scale oil spills from its pipelines in the Niger Delta. The first Court hearing for both claims will take place on 2nd March 2016 at the Technology and Construction Court. The two separate legal actions are being brought by law firm Leigh Day…The two new claims against Royal Dutch Shell plc (RDS) and the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) have now been issued in the High Court in London on behalf of residents of the Ogale Community in Ogoniland and the Bille Kingdom.

Part of the following timelines

Shell faces two new legal actions in UK over oil pollution in Nigeria

Shell and Nigerian Partner Are Sued in Britain Over Spills

Date:

2 Mar 2016

Content Type:

Article
Nigerian Communities Can Sue Royal Dutch Shell Over Oil Spills, U.K. Court Says

Date:

2 Mar 2016

Content Type:

Article
Two new legal actions launched against Shell over Nigerian oil pollution

Date:

1 Mar 2016

Content Type:

Article

View full story

Shell lawsuit (re oil spills & Ogale & Bille communities in Nigeria - Okpabi v Shell)

UK: Nigerian communities win key appeal; oil spill case against Shell proceeds to full trial

Date:

13 Oct 2024

Content Type:

Article

Two Nigerian communities, Bille and Ogale, won a significant legal victory in the UK Court of Appeal, allowing their oil spill case against Shell to proceed to a full trial.
UK: Court of Appeal rules in favour of Nigerian communities over alleged oil pollution by Shell in a ruling of major significance for future environmental claims

Date:

11 Oct 2024

Content Type:

Article

The UK Court of Appeal has granted a significant appeal for the Bille and Ogale communities, allowing their environmental claims against Shell to proceed to full trial. This decision overturns a previous ruling that imposed an impossible burden on claimants to link specific damages to individual spills (Global Claim).
UK Court of Appeal hears Niger Delta Bille and Ogale communities oil spill case against Shell

Date:

8 Oct 2024

Content Type:

Article

"The Court of Appeal [in the UK] is hearing the case of two rural Nigerian communities who allege the oil giant Shell caused devastating pollution to their land. The case will have major implications for the viability of similar environmental claims in future."
Nigerian villagers can bring human rights claims against Shell over oil pollution in the Niger Delta in the UK, High Court rules

Date:

23 Nov 2023

Content Type:

Article

The High Court in the UK has ruled that Nigerian fishermen and farmers affected by the oil spill in Niger Delta can pursue claims against Shell for the breach of their right to a clean environment under Nigeria's constitutional law.
High Court greenlights human rights claims against Shell in the UK over Niger Delta oil pollution

Date:

23 Nov 2023

Content Type:

Article

Communities affected by the oil pollution in the Niger Delta can bring human rights claims against Shell in the UK for alleged violations of their right to a clean environment, the High Court ruled.
UK: High Court to hold multi-day hearing on Shell's legal liability in ongoing Niger Delta pollution case

Date:

24 Jul 2023

Content Type:

Article

"A critical point in the legal cases brought by two Niger Delta communities, Ogale and Bille, and over 13,000 individual residents, against oil giant Shell will take place at a five-day hearing in the High Court in London from Monday 24 July to Friday 28 July 2023."
Nigeria: Lawyers accuse Shell of seeking to hide from scrutiny over pollution in Niger Delta

Date:

17 Apr 2023

Content Type:

Article
Nigerians accuse Shell of delay in oil spill London lawsuits

Date:

5 Apr 2023

Content Type:

Article

In a UK lawsuit over pollution of the Niger Delta allegedly caused by Shell, lawyers for the communities claiming damages accuse Shell of artifically prolonging the trial, aiming to out-resource the claimants. Shell denies these allegations as well as liability.
Over 13,000 residents from the Ogale and Bille communities in Nigeria file claims against Shell for devastating oil spills

Date:

2 Feb 2023

Content Type:

Article

"The legal case against Shell on behalf of the Bille and Ogale communities from the Niger Delta has taken a significant step forward following the filing at the High Court in London of the Ogale group claim register."
Nigeria: Shell must clean up devastating oil spills in the Niger Delta, says NGO

Date:

2 Feb 2023

Content Type:

Article
UK: 14,000 Nigerians seek justice against Shell over alleged responsibility for pollution of their water sources

Date:

2 Feb 2023

Content Type:

Article

14,000 people from two Nigerian communities are suing Shell in the UK High Court over allegations of devastating pollution and destruction of livelihoods. The plaintiffs seek cleanup and compensation. Shell disputes their legal standing and argues against responsibility for spills, including those caused by oil theft from its pipelines.
New UK legal case on Niger Delta oil spills – a litmus test for justice in the energy transition

Date:

2 Feb 2023

Content Type:

Article

The case against Shell will likely influence whether or not individuals and communities in future cases can obtain remedy from companies disengaging from fossil fuel projects.
Nigerian communities’ oil pollution claims against Shell to go to trial as Shell abandons its jurisdiction arguments

Date:

12 Jul 2021

Content Type:

Article

"Unprecedented oil pollution claims against Royal Dutch Shell and its Nigerian subsidiary SPDC will finally be heard in the High Court in London after the oil giant dropped its attempts to avoid English jurisdiction."
Shell abandons push for oil spill case to be heard in Nigeria

Date:

12 Jul 2021

Content Type:

Article

"Shell has abandoned its final attempt to argue that a major lawsuit brought by thousands of Nigerians over an oil spill in the West African country should be heard in Nigeria rather than the UK."
Guest Post: Parent Companies’ Duty of Care: Cues for Ireland from the UK Supreme Court

Date:

23 Feb 2021

Content Type:

Article
Shell in court, again: a short comparison of the Okpabi and Milieudefensie judgments

Date:

18 Feb 2021

Content Type:

Article
Okpabi v Shell and Lungowe v Vedanta Dispel Three Myths

Date:

18 Feb 2021

Content Type:

Article
UK Supreme Court in Okpabi Clarifies Parent Company Duty of Care Toward Persons Allegedly Harmed by Subsidiaries

Date:

17 Feb 2021

Content Type:

Article

Professor Doug Cassel's analysis of the UK Supreme Court decision in Okpabi v. Royal Dutch Shell.
Commentary: Lowering the bar (in a good way): the UK Supreme Court decision in Okpabi v. Shell

Date:

17 Feb 2021

Content Type:

Article

This commentary by Dr Roorda of Utrecht University provides legal analysis of the UK Supreme Court decision in Okpabi and others v Royal Dutch Shell Plc in which the court ruled that it is at least arguable that Shell had a duty of care towards the inhabitants of the Ogale and Bille communities.
Okpabi v Shell. The Supreme Court reverses the Court of Appeal and the High Court on jurisdictional hurdles in parent /subsidiaries cases.

Date:

17 Feb 2021

Content Type:

Article

Professor Robert McCorquodale's take on the UK Supreme Court decision Okpabi v Shell in February 2021.
Commentary: UK Supreme Court reaffirms parent companies may owe a duty of care towards communities impacted by their subsidiaries in third countries

Date:

16 Feb 2021

Content Type:

Article

This commentary provides legal analysis of the UK Supreme Court decision in Okpabi and others v Royal Dutch Shell Plc released on Friday 12 February 2021.
UK Supreme Court decision allowing Nigerian communities to sue Shell before English courts over oil pollution is "disappointing" says company

Date:

15 Feb 2021

Content Type:

Article
La Cour suprême britannique autorise des fermiers nigérians à poursuivre Shell devant les tribunaux anglais pour pollution dans le delta du Niger

Date:

15 Feb 2021

Content Type:

Article

Available languages: français
Commentary : "Supreme Court Allows Appeal Against Shell and Nigerian Subsidiary"

Date:

15 Feb 2021

Content Type:

Article

Hausfeld's commentary on the UK Supreme Court decision ruling that the Nigerian communities' case against Shell over oil pollution in the Niger Delta can be heard before English Courts.
UK: Supreme Court rules that polluted Nigerian communities can sue Royal Dutch Shell in the English courts

Date:

13 Feb 2021

Content Type:

Article

The Supreme Court has ruled that two Nigerian communities can bring their legal claims for clean-up and compensation against Royal Dutch Shell Plc and its Nigerian subsidiary in the English courts.
UK: CORE & ICJ welcome landmark UK Supreme Court decision; Nigerian claimants can pursue environmental devastation allegations against Shell in UK courts

Date:

12 Feb 2021

Content Type:

Article

The UK Supreme Court judgment has allowed the Okpabi et al. v Royal Dutch Shell plc case to proceed, reversing earlier decisions by the Court of Appeal and the High Court, and reaffirming the precedent established in its own previous decision in Lungowe et al v Vedanta Resources plc (2019).
Nigeria: Ogale communities in the Niger Delta take their fight against Shell to the UK Supreme Court

Date:

17 Jun 2020

Content Type:

Article
UK: NGOs submit evidence to Supreme Court in case concerning Shell’s alleged responsibility for Niger Delta oil spills

Date:

2 Jun 2020

Content Type:

Article
Supreme Court grants permission to appeal to Nigerian Communities in their fight against Shell

Date:

24 Jul 2019

Content Type:

Article
Nigeria: UK Supreme Court grants permission to Nigerian communities in their fight against Shell over oil spills in Niger delta

Date:

23 Jul 2019

Content Type:

Article
49 NGOs ask UK Supreme Court to allow Nigerian villagers to appeal against decision ruling Shell cannot be held responsible for pipeline spills affecting their livelihoods

Date:

31 May 2019

Content Type:

Article
Okpabi v Royal Dutch Shell: An opportunity to honour international standards or another instance of corporate impunity?

Date:

4 Sep 2018

Content Type:

Article
UK: Supreme Court defers decision on application for permission to appeal in lawsuit brought by Nigerian communities against Shell over oil spill impacts

Date:

9 Jul 2018

Content Type:

Article
Court of Appeal Decision Threatens to Close Route to Justice

Date:

1 May 2018

Content Type:

Article
UK Supreme Court should allow 40.000 Nigerian villagers appeal a ruling that leaves victims of Shell's oil spills without remedy, civil society demands

Date:

30 Apr 2018

Content Type:

Article
UK Court of Appeal Rules Royal Dutch Shell Not Liable for Nigeria Oil Spills

Date:

15 Feb 2018

Content Type:

Article
Appeal court rules Nigerians cannot pursue Shell spill claim in England

Date:

14 Feb 2018

Content Type:

Article
UK court hears appeal in Shell Nigeria oil spill case

Date:

21 Nov 2017

Content Type:

Article
Court of Appeal to hear Nigerian villagers' pollution claims against Shell

Date:

21 Nov 2017

Content Type:

Article
Court to decide on whether lawsuit against Shell over oil spills in Niger Delta can be heard in UK

Date:

24 Jan 2017

Content Type:

Article
Court to decide if Shell can face trial in UK in lawsuit by communities over oil spill in Nigeria

Date:

10 Jan 2017

Content Type:

Article
40,000 Nigerians take Shell to UK court over oil spills

Date:

18 Nov 2016

Content Type:

Article
Two new legal actions launched against Shell over Nigerian oil pollution

Date:

1 Mar 2016

Content Type:

Article

View full case

Load more View less

Two new legal actions launched against Shell over Nigerian oil pollution

Part of the following timelines

Shell faces two new legal actions in UK over oil pollution in Nigeria

Shell and Nigerian Partner Are Sued in Britain Over Spills

Nigerian Communities Can Sue Royal Dutch Shell Over Oil Spills, U.K. Court Says