Shell to face human rights claims in UK over chronic oil pollution in Niger delta
Source: The Guardian
Shell to face human rights claims in UK over chronic oil pollution in Niger delta
More than 13,000 Nigerian villagers can bring legal claims against oil firm, rules high court
Sandra Laville
Thu 23 Nov 2023 14.29 GMT
First published on Thu 23 Nov 2023 14.28 GMT
Thousands of Nigerian villagers can bring human rights claims against the fossil fuel company Shell over the chronic oil pollution of their water sources and destruction of their way of life, the high court in London has ruled.
Mrs Justice May ruled this week that more than 13,000 farmers and fishers from the Ogale and Bille communities in the Niger delta were entitled to bring legal claims against Shell for alleged breaches to their right to a clean environment.
The judge ruled it was arguable the pollution had fundamentally breached the villagers’ right to a clean environment under the Nigerian constitution and the African charter on human and people’s rights. Claims under these rights have no limitation period.
Shell said its Nigerian subsidiary, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), accepted responsibility for the spills it caused and compensated affected parties where required by relevant Nigerian regulations. It said it also remediates all spills from its assets, regardless of cause. Shell plc denies that it owes a duty of care directly to the claimants.
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Read more: https://archive.is/KLeLA
Original Guardian link (registration required): https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/nov/23/shell-to-face-human-rights-claims-uk-over-chronic-oil-spills-niger-delta