A few hours ago, the Supreme Court issued a highly unusual order in the Kiobel case: the Court will not decide that case, on whether corporations can be sued for human rights violations such as torture and crimes against humanity, during this term. Instead, the Court will re-hear the case, and will receive entirely new briefing, to focus on a different issue: whether Alien Tort Statute cases can be brought in U.S. courts over abuses which occurred in other countries.