An analysis of the legal responsibility of corporations towards industrial water pollution in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Water pollution resulting from industrial activities has emerged as one of the most pressing issues in contemporary Sri Lanka. It has profoundly impacted the environment and human lives, leading to a wide range of repercussions. This research aims to analyse the provisions within the corporate law in Sri Lanka that establish the responsibility for the environmental pollution caused by corporations. Specifically, it addresses the overarching question of whether the corporations in Sri Lanka bear legal responsibility for water pollution resulting from their activities. It also aims to provide brief examples from Canada, the UK, India, and Australia to illustrate key lessons for law reform. This research employs the black-letter approach of research and international and comparative research methodologies. The research reveals that corporate law in Sri Lanka lacks adequate provisions to hold corporations responsible for industrial water pollution. The research offers a guide for law makers for legal reform to ensure that corporations fulfil their responsibilities to both humans and the environment and fill a gap in the existing body of literature by addressing a matter that has received limited attention in the academic literature on Sri Lanka.