London's High Court rules that BHP faces a full contempt of court hearing for funding litigation to prevent Brazilian municipalities suing for environmental disaster
"BHP faces UK contempt charge for funding case over Brazil dam collapse", 26 June 2025
...BHP faces a full contempt of court hearing in Britain for funding litigation to try to prevent some Brazilian municipalities suing the mining giant over one of Brazil’s worst environmental disasters, London’s High Court ruled on Thursday.
Thursday’s ruling is the latest development in long-running litigation over the collapse in 2015 of the Mariana dam in southeastern Brazil that was owned and operated by BHP and Vale’s Samarco joint venture.
Judge Adam Constable said it was arguable that BHP, the world’s biggest miner by market value, funded Brazilian litigation to stop the municipalities suing in London “with the purpose … of interfering with the administration of justice”.
It is not yet known when the contempt hearing will take place...
A BHP spokesperson said the ruling did not determine the merits of the contempt application made by the municipalities that it “will continue to vigorously defend”.
Lawyers representing the claimants suing BHP – which include more than 600,000 Brazilians, 46 local governments and around 2,000 businesses – welcomed the decision as “a significant step forward in holding BHP to account”...