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

“Today, we close the door that Sosa cracked and hold that courts may not create new causes of action for violations of international norms,” Barrett wrote.

“We also hold that the Torture Victim Protection Act of 1991, which contains an express cause of action, does not provide for aiding-and-abetting liability,” Barrett added.

The case involved claims by unnamed Falun Gong practitioners alleging Cisco Systems and its executives aided Chinese government persecution by selling networking equipment used in surveillance.

The Ninth Circuit had allowed the claims to proceed, but the Supreme Court reversed.