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Corporate Legal Accountability

Corporate Legal Accountability (CLA) considers the legal responsibility of companies for human rights abuses, including through legislation and litigation. This hub provides latest news, analysis, resources, and cases on CLA to help advocates end corporate impunity for human rights abuses.

Too often companies implicated in human rights abuses do not face actual consequences for their failure to respect human rights. As a result, unscrupulous companies continue their abuse with impunity, and those whose rights have been violated lack access to effective remedy. Binding legislation and liability regimes which create criminal, administrative or civil liability for a company in relation to its human rights impact, are critical in ensuring that rightsholders can exercise their human rights and have access to justice when abuses occur.

This portal covers judicial and quasi-judicial mechanisms as well as legislative developments at the national and international levels, that are legally binding and enforceable. For additional information about what we do and why we do it, see our Programme Information.

Latest from Us

March 2024 Quarterly Update on New standards on the horizon to protect human rights defenders in Latin America and the Caribbean

Our global update on the Inter-American Human Rights system demonstrating real leadership in key areas of law and policy to protect HRDs fighting harmful business practices; as well as additional legal updates and key resources on corporate legal accountability.

Africa Quarterly Update November 2023 | Accountability for technology companies in Africa

This update provides an overview of human rights trends in the tech industry in Africa. It also offers recommendations and sets out examples of good practice to ensure an effective fulfilment of human rights in the digital business sector.

Proposed Binding Treaty

Read the latest developments on a proposed binding treaty on business and human rights: Background on the process; Blog series; webinars and other news.

Lundin Energy trial

Two former Lundin Energy (now Orrön) executives have been charged for complicity in war crimes in Sudan between 1999 and 2003. The trial started on 5 September 2023 in Stockholm.

Social Audit Liability

Read our latest Annual Briefing on holding social audit firms legally accountable for human rights harm.

SLAPPs in Latin America

Strategic lawsuits against public participation in the context of business and human rights

Our Publications

Explore our Corporate Legal Accountability Annual Briefings, Quarterly Updates and more.

University fellowship opportunity

Does your university have paid fellowship opportunities? Consider joining us! Find out here how you could support impacted people to hold companies legally accountable for human rights abuses.

Lawsuit Database

Search through 200+ lawsuits against companies seeking to hold business accountable for human rights abuses.

Lawyers' Hub

Lawyers all over the world are defending the rights of victims of corporate abuse. Their work is critical in the quest for justice, but often not widely publicised. This hub is all about the lawyers who bring cases on behalf of victims, their insights on fighting for justice and the cases they bring.

Lawyer Directory

Meet and contact lawyers helping victims seek justice for human rights abuses involving companies.

Lawyers' Interviews

Read lawyers’ insights on the opportunities and challenges of driving corporate legal accountability.

Lawsuit Profiles

Learn about the key facts and legal arguments of legal actions lawyers bring against companies to redress human rights abuses.

Register for Legal Updates

If you'd like to receive our publications, as well as occasional pertinent updates from the world of Corporate Legal Accountability, please register your details by following the link below. Then we’ll keep you up to date every couple of months with new lawsuit profiles, lawyers' interviews, key reports and events, as well as Resource Centre publications you may have missed.