Vedanta tells top British court pollution case should be heard in Zambia
In 2017, London’s Court of Appeal had found that 1,826 Zambian citizens living in the Copperbelt region had the right to sue Vedanta in the UK
London — Lawyers for Vedanta Resources have told Britain’s supreme court that a case raised against the mining company by nearly 2,000 Zambian villagers should be heard in Zambia not London. India-listed Vedanta, which delisted from London in 2018 but maintains a legal base in Britain, is appealing against a lower court ruling that a case in which villagers alleged their land was polluted by a Vedanta unit could be heard in England. The two-day hearing will be watched by other multinational companies with a base in London and facing legal challenges about their operations abroad from local residents. Britain’s highest court is not expected to deliver a judgment for several weeks, court officials said. Vedanta’s legal team argued that Zambia was the “natural forum” for the case and said the parent company did not control operations in Zambia, which were governed by Zambian law. In 2017, London’s Court of Appeal had found that 1,826 Zambian citizens living in the Copperbelt region had...
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