The Supreme Court has agreed to revisit a long-standing lawsuit brought by Holocaust survivors' families seeking compensation from Hungary and a state-run railway for property seized in the 1940s. This case examines the extent to which plaintiffs must demonstrate that property taken during World War II has a commercial connection to the United States to pursue their claims in U.S. courts.
The Supreme Court had previously considered this issue in 2021, overturning lower court decisions favorable to Holocaust victims. U.S. federal law generally grants immunity to foreign governments except in specific situations, such as when property is taken in violation of international law and has a "commercial nexus" with the United States.
A court in Washington, D.C., had ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, and the cases on appeal are from an appeals court in Washington that sided with the plaintiffs in one case and with Hungary in another.
Meanwhile, Lord Neuberger, a retired head of the UK Supreme Court and one of the few remaining British judges on Hong Kong’s court of final appeal, presided over a case involving a pro-democracy politician and a jailed newspaper owner. This comes amid resignations of other British judges, including Lord Sumption, in protest against Hong Kong's new national security laws. Neuberger has stated his intention to continue serving in Hong Kong to uphold the rule of law.