Alien Tort Statute
The Alien Tort Statute (codified into positive law in 1948 as 28 U.S.C. § 1350; ATS), also called the Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA), is a federal law that gives federal courts jurisdiction over lawsuits filed by foreign nationals for torts committed in violation of international law. It was first introduced by the Judiciary Act of 1789 and is one of the oldest federal laws still in effect in the U.S. The ATS was rarely cited for nearly two centuries after its enactment, and its exact purpose and scope remain debated.