Forum Non Conveniens and Equal Access under Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation Treaties: A Foreign Plaintiff's Rights

The United States is a party to many Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation treaties. Many of these treaties contain "equal access" clauses that grant foreign plaintiffs the same right of access to United States courts as United States citizens receive. This article compares the rights which foreign plaintiffs possess under these equal access clauses with that of United States citizens. More specifically, this article discusses the doctrine of forum non conveniens, and the ability of foreign plaintiffs with the right of equal access to withstand dismissal on these grounds.

The article also presents a brief survey of the Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation treaties to which the United States is a party.