June 15, 2018CSR and Business Ethics
Silencing Human Rights and Environmental Defenders
The overuse of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) by corporations
The saga of cases of litigation initiated by Chevron following serious pollution in the Amazonian region of Ecuador is an infamous illustration of such legal tactic. The serious pollution created by oil spillage has led to a series of multiple country-based legal strategies by Chevron to avoid responsibility. After losing a case in Ecuador where Chevron was ordered to pay $9 billion to affected communities, the company sued the affected Ecuadorians and their lawyers back in the United States under the federal anti-racketeering law (known as RICO).
