In response to an invitation,
Richard Meeran has written an open letter to the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative on Business and Human Rights on the topic of the development of multinational corporation litigation in South Africa over the past decade, and suggests a possible model for the future. The UN response to this letter has also been published.
In 1997 in the first case of its kind in the UK, Richard succeeded in obtaining compensation for South African mercury poisoning victims employed by UK multinational, Thor Chemicals. Then, following a landmark victory in the House of Lords in 2000, he successfully won compensation for thousands of South Africa miners who suffered from asbestos-related diseases after working for Cape plc in South Africa. Together with other Leigh Day staff, Richard is presently coordinating a series of test cases brought in South Africa by the South African Legal Resources Centre on behalf of gold miners who contracted silicosis and silico-tuberculosis.
The litigation in the Johannesburg High Court is against Anglo American and is scheduled for trial in February 2010.
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