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Plenary Session 5
Saturday 20, November, 2004
13:30 - 16:00, International Conference Hall

Plenary Session 5
Compensation for Damages due to Asbestos
Chairs: Akira Morita and Satomi_Usijima

Transnational Asbestos Litigation: Cape Case
Richard Meeran
Solicitor, Slater & Gordon, Australia

ABSTRACT

In our precedent-based legal system, a ruling in one case can have a direct impact on the outcome of a case involving a totally different subject matter. This has been demonstrated in transnational litigation on asbestos and other issues. The case against Cape plc brought by South African asbestos victims took six years to work its way through the British legal system. This landmark case enabled injured South Africans to obtain compensation for both occupational as well as environmental asbestos exposure caused by a British corporation. The case and its repercussions will be examined.