gulf oil corporation gilbert argued decided march bernard golding archie gray houston petitioner max gwertzman new york city respondent justice jackson delivered opinion questions whether district inherent power dismiss suit pursuant doctrine forum non conveniens whether power abused case brought action southern district new york resides lynchburg virginia operated public warehouse alleges violation ordinances lynchburg carelessly handled delivery gasoline warehouse tanks pumps cause explosion fire consumed warehouse building damage destroyed merchandise fixtures damage caused injury business profits burned property customers custody warehousing agreements extent asks judgment costs disbursements interest date fire action clearly one tort corporation organized laws pennsylvania qualified business virginia new york designated officials state agents receive service process sued new york defendant invoking doctrine forum non conveniens claimed appropriate place trial virginia plaintiff lives defendant business events litigation took place witnesses reside state federal courts available plaintiff able obtain jurisdiction defendant case merits involves federal question brought district solely diversity citizenship parties charact jurisdiction holdings erie railroad tompkins district considered law new york forum non conveniens applied required case left virginia courts therefore dismissed circuit appeals disagreed applicability new york law took restrictive view application entire doctrine federal courts one judge dissenting reversed case certiorari conceded venue statutes permitted plaintiff commence action southern district new york empower entertain settle question whether must indeed doctrine forum non conveniens never apply absence jurisdiction mistake venue one form words another repeatedly recognized existence power decline jurisdiction exceptional circumstances formulated justice brandeis rule proposition jurisdiction must exercise universally true else admiralty never decline jurisdiction ground litigation foreigners true courts administering systems law courts equity law also occasionally decline interest justice exercise jurisdiction suit aliens nonresidents kindred reasons litigation appropriately conducted foreign tribunal canada malting paterson steamships later expressly said state appropriate cases apply doctrine forum non conveniens broderick rosner williams state north carolina even federal rights binding state courts constitution sought adjudged sustained state courts refusal entertain litigation nonresident foreign corporation two foreign corporations douglas new york american provision davis provision held use inappropriate forum one case unconstitutional burden interstate commerce davis farmers equity substantially forum non conveniens grounds required federal courts relinquish decision cases within jurisdiction participate administrative policy state railroad commission texas rowan nichols oil burford sun oil cf meredith winter recently decided williams green bay western without questioning validity doctrine held applied case without justification true cases federal employers liability act et held plaintiff choice forum defeated basis forum non conveniens special venue act cases brought believed require baltimore ohio kepner miles illinois central decisions purport modify doctrine cases governed general venue statutes says kepner case warned refusal jurisdiction particular case controlled congressional act difference congressional act plus judicial interpretation neirbo case spells result page federal employers liability act however controlled decision kepner case specifically provides venue may suit cause action arising statute refers act plus judicial interpretation general statute venue diversity suits plus decision gives defendant personal privilege respecting venue place suit may assert may waive election neirbo bethlehem shipbuilding federal employers liability act interpreted kepner increases number places defendant may sued makes accept plaintiff choice neirbo case declaration defendant filing consent sued waives privilege sued place residence may sued federal courts place consented sued general venue statute plus neirbo interpretation add declaration must respect choice plaintiff matter type suit issues involved two taken together mean defendant may consent sued proper federal take jurisdiction plaintiff choice questioned defendant consent sued extends give jurisdiction person assumes parties apply applicable law including cases appropriate discretionary judgment whether suit entertained cases doctrine forum non conveniens comes play presupposes least two forums defendant amenable process doctrine furnishes criteria choice ii principle forum non conveniens simply may resist imposition upon jurisdiction even jurisdiction authorized letter general venue statute statutes drawn necessary generality usually give plaintiff choice courts may quite sure place pursue remedy open door may admit seek simply justice perhaps justice blended harassment plaintiff sometimes temptation resort strategy rcing trial inconvenient place adversary even inconvenience many met misuse venue investing courts discretion change place trial various grounds convenience witnesses ends justice federal law contains express criteria guide district exercising power problem old one affecting administration courts well rights litigants england country common law worked techniques criteria dealing wisely attempted catalogue circumstances justify require either grant denial remedy doctrine leaves much discretion plaintiff resorts experience shown judicial tendency renounce one jurisdiction strong result many abuses combination weight factors requisite given results difficult forecast state considered difficult name interest considered one likely pressed private interest litigant important considerations relative ease access sources proof availability compulsory process attendance unwilling cost obtaining attendance willing witnesses possibility view premises view appropriate action practical problems make trial case easy expeditious inexpensive may also questions enforcibility judgment one obtained weigh relative advantages obstacles fair trial often said plaintiff may choice inconvenient forum defendant inflicting upon expense trouble necessary right pursue remedy unless balance strongly favor defendant plaintiff choice forum rarely disturbed factors public interest also place applying doctrine administrative difficulties follow courts litigation piled congested centers instead handled origin jury duty burden imposed upon people community relation litigation cases touch affairs many persons reason holding trial view reach rather remote parts country learn report local interest localized controversies decided home appropriateness trial diversity case forum home state law must govern case rather forum untangle problems conflict laws law foreign law new york discretion apply doctrine forum non conveniens standards guide discretion far involved federal rule murnan wabash ry wedemann trus new york see gregonis philadelphia reading coal iron co profitable therefore pursue inquiry source rule must flow iii turning question whether one rather rare cases doctrine applied look first interests litigants plaintiff resident new york event connected case take place witness possible exception experts live one connected side case save counsel plaintiff resides candidly told us retained insurance companies interested presumably subrogation affidavits argument devoted controvering claims defendant inconvenience rather showing present forum serves convenience one exception justification trial new york advanced one rejected district set forth brief follows readily realize action type involving claim damages amount close one may stagger imagination local jury surely unaccustomed dealing amounts nature furthermore removed lynchburg respondent opportunity try case free local influences preconceived notions make difficult procure jury previous knowledge facts herein unproven premise jurors new york live terms intimacy transactions assumption easily make assume jury lynchburg vicinity contemplating value warehouse building stood region merchandise fixtures used likely staggered value chattels people neighborhood put storage strange argument behalf virginia plaintiff community gave patronage make business valuable capable furnishing jurors know value goods store building stored business patronage creates specification local influence accurate knowledge local conditiions make fair trial improbable net say district bound entertain provincial fear provincialism virginia jury leaves virginia plaintiff without even suggested reason transporting suit new york defendant points plaintiff every person participated acts charged negligent resides near lynchburg also claims need interplead alleged independent contractor made delivery gasoline virginia corporation domiciled lynchburg interplead new york also approximately persons residing around lynchburg stored plaintiff goods damage seeks recover extent left community since fire number actually needed dispute complaint alleges defendant conduct violated lynchburg ordinances conditions said require proof firemen many others learned experienced trial judge unaware litigants generally manage try cases fewer witnesses predict motions justified concluding trial likely long involve calling many witnesses lynchburg miles new york source proofs either side possible exception perts certainly fix place trial point litigants compel personal attendance may forced try cases deposition create condition satisfactory jury litigants necessarily cured statement plaintiff counsel see getting many witnesses trial delighted come new york testify may circumstances proposal given weight others offer may turn generous defendant might suppose matters district decide exercise sound discretion likewise well concluded task trial simplified trial ginia trial state apply law events occurring federal reason diversity citizenship apply law state likely experienced course adjudication new york federal might beset conflict laws problems avoided case litigated virginia arose convinced district exceed powers bounds discretion dismissing plaintiff complaint remitting courts community circuit appeals took restrictive view doctrine approved judgment reversed reversed justice reed justice burton dissent set factual reasons dissent since affirmance koster american lumbermens mutual casualty control justice black dissenting defendant corporation organized laws pennsylvania qualified business maintains office new york plaintiff individual residing business virginia accident plaintiff alleges damaged occurred lynchburg virginia plaintiff brought action federal district new york section judiciary act stat carried judicial code confers jurisdiction upon federal district courts actions law citizens different suggest federal district new york lacks jurisdiction statute venue improper case cf neirbo bethlehem shipbuilding holds district may abdicate jurisdiction defendant shows satisfaction district convenient less vexatious defendant trial held another jurisdiction neither venue statute statute governed jurisdiction since contains indication implication federal district satisfied jurisdiction venue requirements met may decline exercise jurisdiction except relation exercise extraordinary admiralty equity powers district courts never held contrary general principle courts bound proceed judgment afford redress suitors every case jurisdiction extends abdicate authority duty case favor another jurisdiction hyde stone quoted approval chicot county sherwood see also dennick railroad baltimore kepner evey mexican cent never today held actions money damages violations common law statutory rights district abdicate statutory duty exercise jurisdiction alleged convenience defendant lawsuit compare slater mexican national reasons peculiar special problems admiralty extraordinary remedies equity courts exercising admiralty equity powers mitted times decline exercise jurisdiction canada malting paterson rogers guaranty trust cf williams green bay exception rooted kind relief courts grant kinds problems solve see meredith winter burford sun oil courts equity developed afford relief money judgment common law courts provided adequate remedy injured person beginning equitable jurisdiction chancery courts generally granted withheld special remedies discretion admiralty act upon enlarged principles equity miller many occasions severely restricted discretion district courts decline grant even extraordinary equitable remedies meredith winter supra cases cited pages page previously federal courts generally allowed broad indefinite discretion dispose even equity cases solely trial judgment relative convenience forum parties major factor equity decisions relative ability forum shape execute equitable remedy cf rogers guaranty trust supra discretionary authority decline decide case however today vested federal courts actions money judgments deriving statutes common law engraft doctrine forum non conveniens upon statutes fixing jurisdiction proper venue district courts actions seems far mere filling interstices statutes may statute passed authorizing federal district courts decline try common law cases according convenience parties whether statute determination scope safeguards surround judgment questions policy congress decide strong arguments presented opinion federal courts exercising common law jurisdiction discretionary powers equity courts always possessed dispensing equitable relief think equally strong arguments advanced show individual corporate defendant part business one sued almost invariably put inconvenience defend poorly represented multistate defendant produce substantial evidence good reasons fitting rule adopted tending establish forum action inconvenient new rule thus clutter threshold federal courts preliminary trial fact concerning relative convenience forums preliminary disposition factual question believe produce kind uncertainty confusion hardship stalled handicapped persons seeking compensation maritime injuries following decision southern pacific jensen broad indefinite discretion left federal courts decide question convenience welter factors relevant judgment inevitably produce complex close indistinguishable decisions accurate prediction proper forum become difficult impossible yet plaintiffs asked determine certainty bringing actions factual question courts regularly divide among within membership penalty error injured individual may suffer serious financial loss delay expense litigation discover claim barred statute limitations proper forum erroneously pursuing elsewhere davis department labor industries case illustrates hazards delay must begun anew another forum district circuit appeals say relative convenience forum plaintiff chose seek redress whether statute limitations run plaintiff know convenience individual defendant enjoy new rule forum non conveniens law actions may thought justify inherent delays uncertainties administrative complications hardships event congress yet said think years passage judiciary fill thinks deficiency deliberate policy congress adopted whether doctrine forum non conveniens good bad wait congress adopt justice rutledge joins opinion footnotes gilbert gulf oil gilbert gulf oil see neirbo bethlehem shipbuilding doctrine originate federal state courts recognizing approving name never indicated rejecting application doctrine law actions integral necessary part evolution doctrine cf slater mexican national wherever applied courts jurisdictions application depend whether action law collard beach app div murnan wabash ry jackson sons lumbermen mutual casualty equity langfelder universal laboratories egbert short ch see koster american lumbermens mutual casualty see foster place application intrastate methods adjustment see logan bank scotland cf la socie te du gaz de paris la socie te anonyme de navigation armateurs francais collard beach jackson sons lumbermen mutual casualty see pietraroia new jersey hudson ferry great western railway canada miller see dainow inappropriate forum see blair doctrine forum non conveniens law mondou new york stated existence jurisdiction creates implication duty exercise exercise may onerous militate implication cf douglas new york although distinction actions law suits equity federal courts abolished adoption single form civil action rule following section see moore federal practice remains federal courts discretion less exercise special equitable remedies existed adoption federal rules neither rules statutes tradition practical considerations justify application equitable discretion actions money judgments based common law statutory rights whose jurisdiction primarily appellate held need exercise constitutionally granted original jurisdiction even common law another suitable forum state georgia pennsylvania constitution congress fixes co rt jurisdiction duty interpret constitutional jurisdiction duty congress fix jurisdiction district courts statute duty amend statute recognize without hesitation judges must legislate interstitially confined molar molecular motions holmes dissenting southern pacific jensen see also dissenting opinion state tax commission aldrich authorities collected law review articles relied upon document theory federal rule forum non conveniens reveal judicial adoption theory without new act congress unwarranted judicial innovation foster place application intrastate methods adjustment blair doctrine forum non conveniens law instance stated matter little dispute desirability legislation comparatively little chance overcoming legislative inertia securing passage unless accident happens focus attention upon best hope courts feel free take appropriate action without specific legislation authorizing foster supra