Last month the federal court for the Southern District of New York held that corporations could be held liable under international law for violations of jus cogens or "higher law," the laws among nations that govern genocide, slavery, torture, extrajudicial killings and the like.
Paul Bremer, during his tenure as Viceroy, granted sweeping immunities to U.S. contractors in Iraq but is limited to the official acts under their contracts. What happens when the official acts violate international law? How about unofficial acts? I've read that it would be difficult to prosecute them in Iraqi courts, but this decision suggests that the Alien Tort Statute may provide a way to sue U.S. contractors in U.S. courts.