Supreme Court Reins In Activist Lawsuits, Major Win for U.S. Businesses

The nation’s highest court ruled 6-3 in Cisco Systems, Inc. v. Doe

(24-856) that neither the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) nor the Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA) allows private plaintiffs to sue for aiding and abetting alleged violations of international law.

The ruling bolsters the Trump administration’s America First agenda by restoring proper roles: Congress and the executive handle foreign policy and create remedies when needed, while courts stick to enforcing enacted law.

It protects U.S. technological leadership, deters forum-shopping by overseas claimants, and reaffirms that the Constitution does not empower judges to conduct foreign relations through private lawsuits.

In an age of global competition and aggressive adversaries like Communist China, this is a commonsense defense of American sovereignty and enterprise.