United States Second Circuit

In a suit for alleged violations of international human rights norms, a default judgment against ZANU-PF, a private political party which rules Zimbabwe, is reversed where its members were entitled to diplomatic and head-of-state immunity.

Appellate Information

• Argued 03/05/2004
• Decided 10/06/2004
• Published 10/06/2004

Judges

• JOHN M. WALKER, JR., Chief Judge., Before:  WALKER, Chief Judge, CARDAMONE, Circuit Judge, and GLEESON, District Judge.

Court

• United States Second Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Steven M. Schneebaum, Patton Boggs LLP, Washington, D.C.;  Joshua Sondheimer and Meetali Jain, Center for Justice and Accountability, San Francisco, CA, for Amici Curiae the Center for Justice & Accountability and International Law and Human Rights Law Scholars., Philip Sapsford, Goldsmith Chambers, London, England, and Alexander Yanos, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, New York, NY, for Amicus Curiae the Bar Human Rights Committee for England and Wales., Rebecca Davies, Dr. Benjamin Kremer, and Simon Rice, Sydney, Australia, for Amicus Curiae Australian Lawyers for Human Rights Inc., Iain Byrne, Commonwealth Law Officer, Interights, London, England, for Amicus Curiae Interights the International Centre for the Legal Protection of Human Rights.


• For Appellees:
  
• David S. Jones, Assistant United States Attorney, New York, NY (James B. Comey, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Meredith E. Kotler, Assistant United States Attorney, New York, NY;  William H. Taft IV, Legal Advisor, David P. Stewart, Assistant Legal Advisor, and Wynne M. Teel, Attorney-Advisor, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.;  Douglas N. Letter and Lewis S. Yelin, Attorneys, Civil Division, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., on the brief), for Intervenor-Appellant-Cross-Appellee., Paul B. Sweeney, Hogan & Hartson L.L.P., New York, NY (Arianna R. Berg, Hogan & Hartson L.L.P., New York, NY;  William J. Bowman, Mary Ellen Callahan, Keith J. Benes, and Nichelle Y. Johnson, Hogan & Hartson L.L.P., Washington, D.C.;  Hamish P.M. Hume, Cooper & Kirk, P.L.L.C., Washington, D.C., on the brief), for Plaintiffs-Appellees-Cross-Appellants.