The company that owns the Express Pearl, which caught fire and was destroyed off the coast of Sri Lanka, has been ordered to pay $1 billion in compensation to the Sri Lankan government for the marine environmental and economic damage caused by the ship.
The ruling came after hearing a fundamental rights petition filed by the Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, and the fishing community.
The Supreme Court ruled that several parties, including the then Minister in charge of the subject, Nalaka Godahewa, had violated fundamental rights by failing to take action to prevent the tragedy.
The court has ordered that the compensation be paid within one year from today. It was also ordered that the first installment of the compensation be paid by September 23, 2025.
This order was issued by a five-member Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Murdu Fernando, Yasantha Kodagoda, Shiran Gunaratne, Achala Vengappuli, and Priyantha Fernando.