Shell faces trial over Nigeria oil spills

British energy multinational Shell can be sued by thousands of Nigerians for oil spills, the High Court in London has ruled.

Earlier this year, more than 13,000 farmers and fishers from the Ogale and Bille communities in Nigeria filed claims against the oil major, seeking compensation for infringing their right to a clean environment under the Nigerian constitution.

“If the case succeeds at trial, it will be the first time in legal history that a UK multinational will have been found to have breached a communities’ right to a clean environment,” the law firm Leigh Day, representing the plaintiffs, said on Thursday. 

“Importantly, such claims have no limitation period, meaning Shell would not be able to evade liability on the grounds the communities did not bring their claims within a narrow time frame,” the firm added.

The court ruling…