The chancellor of M ico, Alicia B dinner, celebrated that on Monday afternoon, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ruled in favor of Mico, in its lawsuit against arms manufacturing companies, so the matter returns to the first instance for a thorough review.
The lawsuit was filed on August 4, 2021, against gun manufacturing and distribution companies whose business practices facilitate the trafficking of their products to M ico.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit agreed with Mico's arguments, ruling that the companies do not have immunity and must be held accountable for their actions in court.
The news was welcomed by the government of Mico and welcomed this resolution.
In an unprecedented move, the two-judge panel of the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, Massachusetts, unanimously ruled that M ico successfully demonstrated that gun manufacturers and distributors do not enjoy immunity for their negligent business practices, which facilitate the illegal trafficking of their products to M ico.
In September 2022, the trial judge dismissed the lawsuit, finding that the immunity law known as the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) did protect the defendant companies even though the accident caused by their carelessness and negligence occurred on Mexican territory. Mico filed the appeal in a timely manner.
Mico's suit is the first that a foreign state has brought against the industry in U.S. courts. In its first ruling this afternoon, the Court of Appeals found that the trial judge had incorrectly dismissed Mico's claim. The Court therefore ordered the matter returned to the lower court for further development.
"Mico welcomes and welcomes the decision issued by the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, which was very receptive to the sophisticated arguments presented by our country in defense of its interests and those of its population," the foreign minister said in a statement.
Once the matter returns to the first instance, evidence will be presented to demonstrate the defendants' negligence, seeking to obtain reparation on the day to be determined by the judge.
The Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico (SRE) highlighted that firearms trafficking and the violence committed with these products severely affect the lives of its people and the development of that country.