The London Bullion Market Association's landmark trial begins Wednesday at London's High Court, where families of two men killed at Tanzania's North Mara gold mine in 2019 allege the LBMA negligently certified the mine's gold as 'responsible'.
The six-week trial tests whether the world's most influential gold refiner accreditor owed the victims a duty of care. The LBMA rejects the claim, arguing it accredits refiners rather than mines and had no control over North Mara or Tanzanian security forces.
The financial stakes are stark: the association held about £1.4 million in reserves at the end of 2025 and could face roughly £3 million of the claimants' legal costs if it loses — before any damages.
