U.K. Supreme Court Rules Zambians Harmed by Mining in Zambia May Sue in the U.K. (April 10, 2019) [1]
On April 10, 2019, the U.K. Supreme Court ruled [3] in Vedanta Resources PLC and Another v. Lungowe and Others that Zambian citizens may sue a Zambian mining corporation and its British parent company in the United Kingdom. The case concerns claims brought by 1,826 Zambian citizens who allege that their health and farming activities have been harmed due to the discharge of toxic matter from Nchanga Copper Mine in Zambia into the waterways they use for drinking and irrigating crops. They argue that Konkola Copper Mines, the Zambian company, and Vedanta, the parent company based in England, are both liable under Zambian law for negligence and breach of statutory duty. The Court held that the claim against Vedanta was arguable and that while Zambia would have been the proper place for this litigation, there is a risk that the claimants would not be able to obtain substantial justice in Zambia and they are entitled to sue Vedanta in England.