UK court allows pre-trial examination of alleged false witness evidence in Shell oil pollution case from Bille, Niger Delta

# What the ruling says

# Why this matters to the Bille communities Two communities in Bille, in Nigeria's Niger Delta, brought a long-running claim that their land was devastated by oil pollution allegedly caused by Shell. The communities say Shell knowingly relied on false or misleading factual assertions made by its witnesses to persuade English courts the case should not proceed in England.

Shell argued the issue of alleged misleading evidence should be dealt with after the main trial if the claimants succeed. The High Court refused that approach, finding the pre-trial examination could affect the credibility of witnesses Shell plans to call at the substantive trial.

# Legal background and timeline

• The disputed witness evidence was given in the 2016–2021 period during the earlier jurisdictional proceedings.
• The full trial is listed to begin at the High Court in May 2027.

# Privilege and internal communications A separate hearing is expected to determine whether Shell's communications with its internal and external lawyers about the disputed evidence remain protected by legal professional privilege. The claimants argue Shell lost that privilege because of alleged improper conduct. That ruling could affect access to potentially relevant internal documents and communications.

# Wider context cited in the case materials

A Premium Times investigation cited continuing pollution impacts in Bille, including persistent toxic gases and the effects of decades of pollution and allegedly improper decommissioning of abandoned oil facilities.

# Court rulings on pleadings and proof Shell's challenge to the claimants' updated pleadings. The court confirmed the communities can argue Shell is responsible for pollution affecting the area even where residents cannot identify every individual spill that contributed to contamination. The court also clarified the claims are not framed as "all or nothing" or as global claims, which has implications for litigation that involves multiple incidents where precise attribution to each event is difficult.

# Next steps

• A pre-trial examination of the disputed witness evidence will proceed under the High Court's direction.
• A separate hearing will address legal professional privilege over Shell's communications concerning that evidence.
• The substantive trial is scheduled to start in May 2027 at the High Court.

These developments shape the immediate litigation schedule and will influence which witnesses and documents are available at trial and how the claimants' case on cumulative pollution will be presented.