• Compensation comm. yet to receive formal mandate

Attorney General (AG) Parinda Ranasinghe states that he has officially conveyed the Supreme Court’s judgment on the X-Press Pearl compensation matter to the Presidential Secretariat and is now awaiting further instructions from the Government on the next course of action.

He added that the judgment had been communicated two weeks ago.

Commenting on the newly established X-Press Pearl Compensation Commission, appointed under the direction of the Supreme Court, the AG told The Sunday Morning that the commission was expected to assess compensation claims arising from the MV X-Press Pearl maritime disaster of 2021. 

However, he clarified that the AG’s Department was not involved in its administrative or procedural functions.

“The commission has only just been appointed, so it will naturally require some time to begin its work,” he said. “My current focus remains on reviewing the financial aspects of the case, in line with the court’s directions.”

Meanwhile, X-Press Pearl Compensation Commission Chairman Justice (Retd) Gamini Amarasekera stated that the commission had not yet received any formal letter or official notification from the court registry or relevant authorities to commence operations.

“As far as I am aware, there is no fixed deadline. However, I am still awaiting formal communication from the registry. I have also asked the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) to contact them so that an official letter of appointment can be issued. I cannot commence any work based on a mere news report; I need the official mandate,” he said.

Justice Amarasekera noted that while he had learnt of his appointment through informal sources, the lack of official correspondence had delayed the commission’s ability to organise or initiate its mandate. 

“I believe the step was taken on the last court date, and I assume they have sent me the names of the commission members. But until the official letter is issued, we cannot begin any proceedings,” he stated.

He clarified that the Supreme Court’s judgment carried an expectation that the process should be completed within one year but did not impose a strict reporting deadline. 

“The judgment states an expectation that the process be concluded within one year. The January date is for the next court hearing, not necessarily for our report. First, the committee must be formally appointed, then we must decide on logistics, and only after that can we commence proceedings,” Justice Amarasekera said.

He further declined to discuss the specific matters the commission would examine until the official documentation was received.

On the question of whether public statements issued by X-Press Feeders regarding the court’s decision amounted to contempt of court, Justice Amarasekera declined to comment, noting that such issues fell within the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction. “That is a matter for the Supreme Court to decide if someone petitions it. I should not express an opinion, as I have to sit as an impartial commissioner,” he said.

He also noted that he had obtained a copy of the judgment to verify procedural details, adding that he had heard of a change in the judicial bench, which could affect how the matter proceeded.

MEPA Chairman Samantha Gunasekara, speaking to The Sunday Morning, confirmed that the authority had already completed all required procedural steps and submitted the necessary documentation to the Court Registrar, who was now responsible for formally notifying the commission to commence its work.

He explained that MEPA’s role as a party to the proceedings had been fulfilled, but that the next procedural step now depended on the court registry.

Gunasekara further noted that the next hearing of the case was scheduled for 26 January 2026, by which time the necessary procedural steps should ideally have been completed.