The Longer Arm of the Law

Although the ruling was carefully worded to prevent all but the most clearly defined human rights cases from entering the court, international business interests are already worried. "This ruling didn't cut the filing of these cases off at the pass, and that's what we had been hoping," says Robin Conrad, the senior vice president of the legal arm of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Experts say law-abiding businesses have no reason to worry. "If they're not committing torture or genocide, they're okay," says Yale's Koe. "But if they are, then they should have something to worry about."

© 2004