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Public and Legal Corporate Defense when Accused of Complicity in War Crimes: The Lundin Oil Case

Schoultz, Isabel LU orcid (2026)
Abstract (Swedish)
This chapter analyzes how Lundin Oil responded publicly and legally to accusations of complicity in human rights violations connected to its operations in southern Sudan. Since receiving a concession in Block 5A in 1997, the company has faced persistent accusations from civil society organizations. In 2010, the Swedish Prosecution Authority launched a preliminary investigation, and in 2023, two former corporate directors were charged with complicity in war crimes by the Stockholm District Court.

Drawing on scholarship on the neutralization of corporate and white-collar crime and on mechanisms of denial in cases of gross human rights violations, the chapter examines public and legal defense strategies employed before and during... (More)
This chapter analyzes how Lundin Oil responded publicly and legally to accusations of complicity in human rights violations connected to its operations in southern Sudan. Since receiving a concession in Block 5A in 1997, the company has faced persistent accusations from civil society organizations. In 2010, the Swedish Prosecution Authority launched a preliminary investigation, and in 2023, two former corporate directors were charged with complicity in war crimes by the Stockholm District Court.

Drawing on scholarship on the neutralization of corporate and white-collar crime and on mechanisms of denial in cases of gross human rights violations, the chapter examines public and legal defense strategies employed before and during the trial. The analysis finds that the company denied knowledge of harm, framed its activities as promoting prosperity and peace, and condemned its critics. In court, the defense relied on familiar logics of denial, including the diffusion of individual responsibility, claims of limited corporate responsibility, and appeals to the corporate veil. The chapter concludes that corporate defenses draw on culturally and institutionally available repertoires of legitimacy and risk, shaping both public understanding and legal interpretations of corporate harm.
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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
in press
subject
host publication
Just Economics? Business Perspectives on Corporate Accountability and Democratizing the Economy
editor
Grosescu, Raluca ; Dale, John G. and Rammelt, Henry P.
publisher
Routledge Taylor & Francis Group
ISBN
9781041336952
project
Rättvisa och ansvarsutkrävande vid företags involvering i internationella brott. Rättsliga strider och strategier i Lundin-rättegången
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
467c779a-4816-49f9-ab25-74fb701b322e
date added to LUP
2026-06-22 11:15:46
date last changed
2026-06-22 12:51:30
@inbook{467c779a-4816-49f9-ab25-74fb701b322e,
  abstract     = {{This chapter analyzes how Lundin Oil responded publicly and legally to accusations of complicity in human rights violations connected to its operations in southern Sudan. Since receiving a concession in Block 5A in 1997, the company has faced persistent accusations from civil society organizations. In 2010, the Swedish Prosecution Authority launched a preliminary investigation, and in 2023, two former corporate directors were charged with complicity in war crimes by the Stockholm District Court. <br/><br/>Drawing on scholarship on the neutralization of corporate and white-collar crime and on mechanisms of denial in cases of gross human rights violations, the chapter examines public and legal defense strategies employed before and during the trial. The analysis finds that the company denied knowledge of harm, framed its activities as promoting prosperity and peace, and condemned its critics. In court, the defense relied on familiar logics of denial, including the diffusion of individual responsibility, claims of limited corporate responsibility, and appeals to the corporate veil. The chapter concludes that corporate defenses draw on culturally and institutionally available repertoires of legitimacy and risk, shaping both public understanding and legal interpretations of corporate harm.<br/>}},
  author       = {{Schoultz, Isabel}},
  booktitle    = {{Just Economics? Business Perspectives on Corporate Accountability and Democratizing the Economy}},
  editor       = {{Grosescu, Raluca and Dale, John G. and Rammelt, Henry P.}},
  isbn         = {{9781041336952}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge Taylor & Francis Group}},
  title        = {{Public and Legal Corporate Defense when Accused of Complicity in War Crimes: The Lundin Oil Case}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}