Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/17pdf/16-499_1a7d.pdf
Page Number: 44.0

Cite as:  584 U. S. ____ (2018) 

1 

Opinion of GORSUCH, J. 

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES 

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No. 16–499 
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JOSEPH JESNER, ET AL., PETITIONERS v.
 
ARAB BANK, PLC
 

ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF 

APPEALS FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT
 

[April 24, 2018] 

JUSTICE GORSUCH, concurring in part and concurring in 

the judgment. 

I  am  pleased  to  join  the  Court’s  judgment  and  Parts  I,
II–B–1,  and  II–C  of  its  opinion.  Respectfully,  though,  I 
believe there are two more fundamental reasons why this 
lawsuit  must  be  dismissed.  A  group  of  foreign  plaintiffs
wants  a  federal  court  to  invent  a  new  cause  of  action  so 
they  can  sue  another  foreigner  for  allegedly  breaching 
international norms.  In any other context, a federal judge 
faced with a request like that would know exactly what to
do with it: dismiss it out of hand.  Not because the defend-
ant happens to be a corporation instead of a human being.
But  because  the  job  of  creating  new  causes  of  action  and 
navigating  foreign  policy  disputes  belongs  to  the  political 
branches.  For  reasons  passing  understanding,  federal 
courts have sometimes treated the Alien Tort Statute as a 
license to overlook these foundational principles.  I would 
end  ATS  exceptionalism.    We should  refuse  invitations  to 
create  new  forms  of  legal  liability.    And  we  should  not 
meddle  in  disputes  between  foreign  citizens  over  interna-
tional norms.  I write because I am hopeful that courts in
the  future  might  pause  to  consider  both  of  these  reasons
for restraint before taking up cases like this one.  Whatever
powers  courts  may  possess  in  ATS  suits,  they  are  powers
judges should be doubly careful not to abuse.