Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain

Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain (2004) was a Supreme Court case that addressed whether U.S. courts can recognize foreign laws or acts as valid when they were carried out unlawfully. The Court ruled that a foreign government's conduct must be particularly egregious and involve significant violations of international norms to be justiciable (meaning, suitable for court action). In this case, it limited the scope of private individuals' ability to sue foreigners for actions that violate international law. Essentially, the Court emphasized that only certain serious international violations are appropriate for U.S. courts to hear and decide on.