Tea giant argues Scottish court would not understand Kenyan culture
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One of the world’s major tea producers has argued that a lawsuit brought against it by thousands of Kenyan farmworkers should not be dealt with by the Scottish courts because of cultural issues.
James Finlay Kenya Ltd is being sued by current and former employees who allege they suffered severe health problems as a result of working on farms operated by the company.
The company, whose roots lie in 18th century Glasgow, moved its headquarters from Glasgow to London 15 years ago, but is registered in Aberdeen.
A trial opened in the Court of Session yesterday, where lawyers for JFK continued to argue that Scotland was not the proper jurisdiction for the claims to be brought, the BBC reports.
Simeon Hutchinson, the company’s managing director, told the court that it would not understand the culture in Kenya, including the fact that the claimants could have suffered injury from carrying water when they were children.
He added that the company has no connection to Scotland besides its “historical” registered address.
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