“One of the few times in Nigeria’s history that the country’s justice system has worked for the benefit of ordinary citizens,” was how one local blogger greeted the news.

The Nigerian High Court ruled that Shell’s operation in Nigeria, the Shell Petroleum Development Company, must pay $1.5 billion in damages to a campaign group, the Ijaw Aborigines of Bayelsa State.

Shell said an appeal against the judgment was likely to succeed because “independent expert advice demonstrates that there is no evidence to support the underlying claims”.

Upcoming Ethical Corporation conferences & events:
How to manage Social & Environmental Risk in the mining, oil & gas, steel and other heavy industries
London, 22-23 March 2010 The Responsible Business Summit 2010
Novotel West Hotel, London, 4th – 5th May 2010 The Inaugural Ethical Corporation Awards
Novotel West Hotel, London, Evening of 4th May 2010
The Awards will be held at the Responsible Summit -
on the evening of the first day
Please login to view whole article - or subscribe here.
For a free two week trial to Ethical Corporation online, please click here.