Politico.com has examined the global impact of the Lundin trial on corporate liability in the context of international law. Undcr the Rome Statute, states parties are expected to prosecute international crimes – war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide – before their national courts. It established the International Criminal Court as a court of last resort in cases, stepping in only when a state is unwilling or unable to pursue such prosecutions. The 125 States Parties to the Rome Statute have affirmed the principle of universal jurisdiction and prosecuted hundreds of individuals for crimes that were committed beyond their national borders. The latest development is that company executives are also investigated with high-profile cases like Lundin in Sweden and Lafarge in France leading the charge. But they are not the only ones, and the international business community would be wise to pay close attention to this trend.
Alex Perry, “From Nuremberg to now: How a war crimes trial in Sweden is changing legal history”, in: Politico, 12 December 2024, is available here.
