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Verlinden B.V. V. Central Bank Of Nigeria: Expanding Jurisdiction Under The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, Patricia E. Bergum

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

In 1976 Congress enacted the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act' to clarify the law surrounding actions in United States federal courts against foreign states. Congress intended to establish "the sole and ex- clusive standards to be used in resolving questions of sovereign immu- nity" The Act provides comprehensive guidelines on when and how a party can bring suit against a foreign state. By contrast, Verlinden B. V v. Central Bank of Nigeria addresses who can bring suit under the Act. In Verlinden, the Supreme Court interpreted the Act to enable not only domestic plaintiffs, but also foreign plaintiffs, to sue foreign …