ESG Enforcement Tracker

The families of two Tanzanian artisanal miners, both aged 23, have brought a civil claim against the LBMA following the alleged fatal shootings of their relatives by Tanzanian police at the North Mara gold mine in 2019.

The claimants allege that the LBMA failed to take appropriate action in response to known human rights risks within the certified gold supply chain. They argue that suspending or withdrawing MMTC-PAMP’s accreditation could have exerted commercial pressure on the refiner and mine operator to address the alleged abuses.

NGOs have reported more than 100 killings and 304 injuries in incidents linked to the North Mara mine between 2009 and 2022, alongside allegations of police abuse in the surrounding area. The mine is majority-owned by Barrick Mining Corporation, which denies allegations of human rights abuses and disputes having oversight or control over the Tanzanian police.

The LBMA disputes that it owed or breached any duty of care to the claimants or that its conduct caused the alleged deaths. It maintains that its accreditation process applies to refiners rather than individual mines and that it had no operational control over North Mara or the Tanzanian police.

Barrick Mining Corporation also denies the allegations of human rights abuses at North Mara, describing them as unsubstantiated.

The six-week trial began in London’s High Court on 7 October 2026. The court will consider the allegations concerning the LBMA’s accreditation of MMTC-PAMP and its responsible-sourcing standards, alongside the LBMA’s defence.