The Supreme Court has fixed a date to consider a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed seeking a declaration that the government's failure to implement adequate pre-disaster measures to minimize the impact of Cyclone Ditwah violated the fundamental rights of the general public.
Accordingly, the court ordered that the case be taken up for consideration on October 30, 2026, Ada Derana reporter said.
The petition, filed by an attorney from Kandy, was taken up before a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Janak de Silva and Achala Wengappuli.
The Attorney General, on behalf of the President, along with members of the Cabinet of Ministers and several others, have been named as respondents in the petition.
The petitioner contends that although the Department of Meteorology had issued advance warnings pertaining to the possibility of Cyclone Ditwah, the government failed to implement proper contingency plans to protect the public and minimize the damage caused by the disaster.
The petition further requests the Supreme Court to declare that this failure amounted to a violation of the people's fundamental rights.
In addition, the petitioner has sought an order directing the government to formulate and implement comprehensive guidelines aimed at preventing or reducing the impact of similar natural disasters in the future.
