Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/17pdf/16-499_1a7d.pdf
Page Number: 49.0

6 

JESNER v. ARAB BANK, PLC 

Opinion of GORSUCH, J. 

mits federal courts to hear cases like this.  At a minimum, 
both those considerations and simple common sense about 
the  limits  of  the  judicial  function  should  lead  federal 
courts  to  require  a  domestic  defendant  before  agreeing  to
exercise  any  Sosa-generated  discretion  to  entertain  an 
ATS suit. 

Start  with  the  statute.   What  we  call  the  Alien  Tort 
Statute began as just one clause among many in §9 of the 
Judiciary  Act  of  1789,  which  specified  the  jurisdiction  of 
the  federal  courts.  1  Stat.  76–78.    The  ATS  clause  gave
the district courts “cognizance, concurrent with the courts
of the several States, or the circuit courts, as the case may
be,  of  all  causes  where  an  alien  sues  for  a  tort  only  in
violation  of  the  law  of  nations  or  a  treaty  of  the  United
States.”2  Like  today’s  recodified  version,  28  U. S. C. 

—————— 

2 “Sec.  9.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  district  courts  shall 
have,  exclusively  of  the  courts  of  the  several  States,  cognizance  of  all 
crimes and offences that shall be cognizable under the authority of the
United States, committed within their respective districts, or upon the 
high  seas;  where  no  other  punishment  than  whipping,  not  exceeding
thirty  stripes,  a  fine  not  exceeding  one  hundred  dollars,  or  a  term  of
imprisonment not exceeding six months, is to be inflicted; and shall also
have  exclusive  original  cognizance  of  all  civil  causes  of  admiralty  and
maritime  jurisdiction,  including  all  seizures  under  laws  of  impost, 
navigation or trade of the United States, where the seizures are made, 
on  waters  which  are  navigable  from  the  sea  by  vessels  of  ten  or  more 
tons burthen, within their respective districts as well as upon the high 
seas; saving to suitors, in all cases, the right of a common law remedy, 
where  the  common  law  is  competent  to  give  it;  and  shall  also  have
exclusive  original  cognizance  of  all  seizures  on  land,  or  other  waters 
than  as  aforesaid,  made,  and  of  all  suits  for  penalties  and  forfeitures
incurred,  under  the  laws  of  the  United  States.    And  shall  also  have 
cognizance,  concurrent  with  the  courts  of  the  several  States,  or  the 
circuit courts, as the case may be, of all causes where an alien sues for a 
tort  only  in  violation  of  the  law  of  nations  or  a  treaty  of  the  United 
States.    And  shall  also  have  cognizance, concurrent  as  last  mentioned,
of all suits at common law where the United States sue, and the matter 
in  dispute  amounts,  exclusive  of  costs,  to  the  sum  or  value  of  one
hundred  dollars.    And  shall  also  have  jurisdiction,  exclusively  of  the