abusesaffiliationarrow-downarrow-leftarrow-rightarrow-upattack-typeburgerchevron-downchevron-leftchevron-rightchevron-upClock iconclosedeletedevelopment-povertydiscriminationdollardownloademailenvironmentexternal-linkfacebookfiltergenderglobegroupshealthC4067174-3DD9-4B9E-AD64-284FDAAE6338@1xinformation-outlineinformationinstagraminvestment-trade-globalisationissueslabourlanguagesShapeCombined Shapeline, chart, up, arrow, graphLinkedInlocationmap-pinminusnewsorganisationotheroverviewpluspreviewArtboard 185profilerefreshIconnewssearchsecurityPathStock downStock steadyStock uptagticktooltiptwitteruniversalityweb

Esta página no está disponible en Español y está siendo mostrada en English

Artículo

10 Dic 2020

Autor:
Friends of the Earth France

French Court of Appeal remands case against Total over alleged failure to respect Duty of Vigilance law in Uganda to commercial court

"Total Uganda case in France: the Court of Appeal of Versailles remands the case to the commercial court", 10 Dec 2020

The judges ruled in favour of Total, confirming the judgment of the first instance court which considered that this dispute fell within the jurisdiction of the commercial court. Civil society organizations (CSOs) believe that this decision is contrary to the spirit of this law and harmful to its implementation.

On January 30th, 2020, the Nanterre Civil Court of Justice denied its jurisdiction, ruling that the case should be judged by the commercial court. The six organisations considered that this decision was based on a misinterpretation of the law, and so appealed the ruling last March... The Versailles Court of Appeal has unfortunately just confirmed this decision, also considering that this case falls within the jurisdiction of the commercial court.

According to our organisations, this decision is not only contrary to the jurisprudence of the Court of Cassation (French Supreme court), but also to the spirit of the duty of vigilance law and to the will of the legislators. The purpose of this law is to make companies liable for the impacts of their activities on third parties, such as employees of subsidiaries, suppliers and subcontractors, local communities and the environment. These are therefore external issues, of protection of human rights and the planet, which cannot be reduced to a purely commercial dispute relating to the company’s internal management.

Commercial courts are courts of limited jurisdiction, composed of judges elected by their peers, who are elected upon to handle commercial disputes because of their technical knowledge of the business world. According to civil society, this decision implies a major extension of the jurisdiction of these courts, potentially to any dispute involving a commercial company.

Being the first case using this law, the stakes of this decision go beyond this single case...

Friends of the Earth France, Survie and their Ugandan partners are considering filing an appeal before the Cour de Cassation (French Supreme Court).

Parte de las siguientes historias

6 NGOs file lawsuit against Total over alleged failure to respect French Duty of Vigilance law in its operations in Uganda

6 NGOs file lawsuit against Total over alleged failure to respect French Duty of Vigilance law in its operations in Uganda

Demanda contra Total (relativa al incumplimiento de la ley francesa sobre el deber de vigilancia en sus actividades en Uganda)

France: Appeals court remands first case filed under duty of vigilance law to the commercial court

Información de privacidad

Este sitio usa cookies y otras tecnologías de almacenamiento web. Puede configurar sus preferencias de privacidad más adelante. Los cambios se aplicarán de inmediato.

Para más información sobre el uso que hacemos del almacenamiento web, por favor consulte nuestra Política de Cookies y Uso de Datos

Strictly necessary storage

ON
OFF

Necessary storage enables core site functionality. This site cannot function without it, so it can only be disabled by changing settings in your browser.

Cookies analíticas

ON
OFF

Cuando accede a nuestro sitio web, utilizamos Google Analytics para recopilar información sobre su visita. La aceptación de esta cookie nos permitirá conocer más detalles sobre su visita y mejorar la forma en que mostramos la información. Toda la información analítica es anónima y no la utilizamos para identificarle. Google proporciona un complemento de inhabilitación de Google Analytics para todos los navegadores populares.

Cookies promocionales

ON
OFF

Compartimos noticias y actualizaciones sobre empresas y derechos humanos a través de plataformas de terceros, incluidas las redes sociales y los motores de búsqueda. Estas cookies nos ayudan a comprender el rendimiento de estas promociones.

Sus preferencias de privacidad en este sitio

Este sitio usa cookies y otras tecnologías de almacenamiento web para mejorar su experiencia, mas allá de la funcionalidad básica necesaria.