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Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain
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Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain

law case
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Quick Summary

The case of Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain (2004) significantly limited the scope of the Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA). The ATCA, originally part of the Judiciary Act of 1789, allows U.S. federal courts to hear civil cases brought by foreign nationals for torts violating international law or U.S. treaties.1

In Sosa, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the ATCA applies only to violations of international norms that are "specific, universal, and obligatory." The Court determined that general prohibitions against arbitrary arrest did not meet this standard, thereby restricting the types of international law violations that could be pursued in U.S. courts under the ATCA. This decision, along with Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum (2013), has narrowed the ability to bring suits for human rights abuses committed abroad.12

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. Alien Tort Claims Act
  2. human rights - International human rights in domestic courts

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