Dutch Court Clears Nigerian Farmers To Sue Shell

A Dutch Appeal Court
ruled last Friday that Royal Dutch Shell may be held liable for oil spills at its subsidiary in Nigeria, potentially opening the way for other compensation claims against multinationals particularly in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
The ruling was hailed by right groups as a victory for victims of environmental pollution worldwide.
Judges in the Hague ordered shell to make available to the court documents that might cast light on the cause of the spills and whether leading managers were aware of them.
A lower Dutch Court in 2013 had ruled that Shell’s Dutch-based parent company could not be held liable for leakages of oil at its Nigerian subsidiary.
The legal dispute dates back to 2008 when four Nigerian farmers and campaign group, “Friends of the Earth”, filed a suit against the oil company in the Netherlands, where its global headquarters is based.
But on Friday, the Appeal Court said, “Shell can be taken to court in the Netherlands for the efforts of the oil spills”.
It also said that, “Shell is also ordered to provide access to documents that could shed more light on the cause of the leaks”.
The court still has to decide of Royal Dutch Shell is in fact responsible for the spills. The court will continue to hear the case in March 2016.
Judge Hans Van der Klooster  said the court had also found that it has jurisdiction in the case against shell and its subsidiary in Nigeria.
However, in its reaction to the Appeal Court ruling, Shell’s Nigerian Subsidiary, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), said in a statement that. “We are disappointed the Dutch Court has determined it should assume international jurisdiction over SPDC.