On July 31, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the lawsuit brought by the Republic of the Marshall Islands against the United States
The lawsuit sought a declaration that the United States was in breach of its treaty obligations under Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and international law, and asked the court to order that the United States engage in good-faith negotiations.
The ruling from the court held that Article VI was non-self-executing and therefore not judicially enforceable. The panel also found that the Marshall Islands’ claims presented inextricable political questions that were nonjusticiable and must be dismissed.
Rick Wayman, Director of Programs for the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, stated, “This ruling from the Ninth Circuit continues the trend of a complete lack of accountability on the part of the U.S. government for its nuclear proliferation, active participation in a nuclear arms race, and refusal to participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations.”
more under: “Marshall Islands Nuclear Zero Lawsuit Appeal Dismissed in Ninth Circuit Court,” Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, July 31, 2017