Rig-seizure dispute seen as potential 'blockbuster'

摘要

The Supreme Court tomorrow will hear arguments in Venezuela's appeal of a lower court's decision to allow a case over the seizure of oil drilling rigs to go forward on U.S. soil. At issue is whether Venezuela should have been granted immunity from the suit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The Obama administration is backing Venezuela's claims of immunity under U.S. law, warning that allowing the case to continue could sour foreign relations. "This case has the potential to be a blockbuster, as it will define when suits against foreign governments get through the courthouse door," said Trey Childress, a professor at Pepperdine University School of Law.