Zambian villagers win right to sue Vedanta

London: The UK Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled in favour of thousands of Zambian villagers seeking the right to sue a subsidiary of UK-headquartered Vedanta in the UK courts.

The case relates to allegations of pollution by villagers living near the massive Nchanga Copper mine, owned by Vedanta subsidiary Konkola Copper Mines (KCM).

“The ruling sets a strong legal precedent which will allow people with claims against subsidiaries of British multinationals to sue the parent company in the UK,” said Foil Vedanta, a grassroots campaign group working for people's movements against Vedanta.