Business liability for terrorism
AstraZeneca UK v. Atchley
In brief
- Where it stands
- Petition Pending
Awaiting an order on the petition
- What it’s about
- AstraZeneca and 20 other pharmaceutical and medical-device companies asked the Supreme Court to review claims tied to goods they supplied to Iraq’s Health Ministry; the plaintiffs allege a militia infiltrated the ministry, diverted goods and payments, and later carried out attacks that injured them.
- What's at stake
- AstraZeneca, the other companies and the plaintiffs do not yet have a Supreme Court ruling on the claims; the Court has not decided whether to review them.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The companies’ petition challenges whether those allegations support claims for helping terrorism or directly causing the injuries under federal law.
The plaintiffs allege a militia infiltrated Iraq’s Health Ministry, diverted goods and payments, and later carried out attacks that injured them.
The petition raises questions under the federal Anti-Terrorism Act about when dealings with a foreign-government agency can lead to liability for terrorism-related harm.
Question presented
1. Whether the ATA authorizes liability for aiding and abetting acts of terror based on aid that is (1) neither tied to any specific attack nor systemic and pervasive and (2) provided without any desire to help the attacks succeed. 2. Whether the ATA’s proximate cause requirement authorizes direct liability for acts of terror based on allegations that defendants transacted with a foreign-government agency that performed legitimate functions.
What happens next
The petition was distributed for the Court’s Nov. 6, 2026 conference; that is not a grant of review or a promised decision date. The Court must still decide whether to hear the case.
Documents
Docket activity
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AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
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Case data updated: documents, description, document_url, proceeding_type
Case data updated: documents, description, document_url, proceeding_type
Case data updated: documents, description, document_url, proceeding_type
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.