Bowoto v Chevron Corporation – US Court of Appeals (9th Circuit)(Mary M Schroeder and Jay S Baybee Ct JJ and Owen M Panner DJ) – 10 September 2010

Tort – Wrongful death actions - Plaintiffs bringing claims in America against operator of oil platform off coast of Nigeria after protesters killed by Nigerian government forces – Whether plaintiffs entitled to bring claims under Alien Tort Statute and Torture Victim Protection Act

Chevron Nigeria Ltd (“CNL”) operated the Parabe oil platform nine miles off the coast of Nigeria. On 25 May 1998 over 100 native Nigerians took over the platform to protest CNL’s destruction of the environment and refusal to provide jobs to the local population. CNL sought the assistance of the Nigerian government security forces (“GSF”) to end the protest. When the GSF soldiers arrived on the platform they shot a number of the protestors, killing two.