Sampson v. Federal Republic of Germany
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
250 F.3d 1145 (2001)
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- Written by Rich Walter, JD
Facts
Jacob Sampson (plaintiff) sued the Federal Republic of Germany (defendant) in a United States federal district court, seeking reparations for his imprisonment in a German concentration camp during World War II. The German government responded to the lawsuit by asserting Germany’s sovereign immunity under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA). Sampson argued that (1) Germany’s postwar acknowledgment of responsibility for wartime crimes implicitly waived Germany’s FSIA immunity and (2) Germany could be sued under the jus cogens principle that some internationally recognized values are so fundamental as to bind a country even without its consent. The district court dismissed the case. Sampson appealed to the Seventh Circuit.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Manion, J.)
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