Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act

Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act
Great Seal of the United States
Long titleAn Act to define the jurisdiction of United States courts in suits against foreign states, the circumstances in which foreign states are immune from suit and in which execution may not be levied on their property, and for other purposes.
Acronyms (colloquial)FSIA
Enacted bythe 94th United States Congress
EffectiveJanuary 19, 1977[1]
Citations
Public law94-583
Statutes at Large90 Stat. 2891
Codification
Titles amended28
U.S.C. sections created§1330, §1391(f), §1441(d), §1602–11
Legislative history
Major amendments
Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act
United States Supreme Court cases

The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976 (FSIA) is a United States law, codified at Title 28, §§ 1330, 1332, 1391(f), 1441(d), and 1602–1611 of the United States Code, that established criteria as to whether a foreign sovereign state (or its political subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities) is immune from the jurisdiction of the United States' federal or state courts. The Act also establishes specific procedures for service of process, attachment of property and execution of judgment in proceedings against a foreign state. The FSIA provides the exclusive basis and means to bring a civil suit against a foreign sovereign in the United States. It was signed into law by United States President Gerald Ford on October 21, 1976.[6]

  1. ^ "This Act shall take effect ninety days after the date of its enactment." Pub. Law. 94-583, §8
  2. ^ See House Report No. 94-1487. Sept 9, 1976.
  3. ^ See Senate Report No. 94-1310. September 27, 1976. This report concerned the identical Senate bill, S. 3553
  4. ^ 122 Cong. Rec. H11587
  5. ^ 122 Cong. Rec. S17721
  6. ^ Feldman, Mark B. (April 1986). "The United States Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976 in Perspective: A Founder's View". The International and Comparative Law Quarterly. 35 (2): 302–319. doi:10.1093/iclqaj/35.2.302. JSTOR 759230.