14 - Seeking Accountability of Corporate Actors

Summary

Used wisely, inside and outside the courtroom, strategic litigation may be an important vehicle for achieving accountability. To show how communities and advocates sparked the life of a movement seeking accountability of corporate actors under international law, this chapter will provide a chronological account of developments and setbacks that the movement has faced. Using Chiquita as a case study, the chapter distils the recent history of corporate accountability under international law. It follows a linear approach, explaining the developments and set-backs in corporate criminal responsibility under international law. It starts with Nuremberg as a milestone, and goes on to analyze subsequent approaches supporting or rejecting the accountability of corporate officers and corporations. Passing through domestic litigation that emanated from Nuremberg precedents, as well as the subsequent developments, the chapter tells the recent history of corporate accountability under international criminal law.