Turkiye Halk Bankasi A.S. v. United States

Turkiye Halk Bankasi A.S. v. United States
Argued January 17, 2023
Decided April 19, 2023
Full case nameTurkiye Halk Bankasi A.S. v. United States of America
Docket no.21-1450
ArgumentOral argument
Opinion announcementOpinion announcement
Questions presented
Whether U.S. district courts may exercise subject-matter jurisdiction over criminal prosecutions against foreign sovereigns and their instrumentalities under 18 U.S.C. § 3231 and in light of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, 28 U.S.C. §§ 1330, 1441(d), 1602-1611.
Holding
The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act's comprehensive scheme governing claims of sovereign immunity in civil actions against foreign states and their instrumentalities does not cover criminal cases.
Court membership
Chief Justice
John Roberts
Associate Justices
Clarence Thomas · Samuel Alito
Sonia Sotomayor · Elena Kagan
Neil Gorsuch · Brett Kavanaugh
Amy Coney Barrett · Ketanji Brown Jackson
Case opinions
MajorityKavanaugh, joined by Roberts, Thomas, Sotomayor, Kagan, Barrett, Jackson
Concur/dissentGorsuch, joined by Alito
Laws applied
Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976

Turkiye Halk Bankasi A.S. v. United States, 598 U.S. 264 (2023), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the court held that the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act's comprehensive scheme governing claims of sovereign immunity in civil actions against foreign states and their instrumentalities does not cover criminal cases. The case concerned the exposure of Turkish state-owned bank Halkbank to prosecution by the Department of Justice.