UK court issues first judicial ruling for Beirut Blast case

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The prosecutor's office of the Beirut Bar Association announced the issuance of the first judicial ruling outside Lebanon in the case of the Beirut Port explosion on August 4, 2020.

In a statement, it confirmed that the High Court of Justice in London issued a ruling in favor of the victims represented by the prosecution office against the English company SAVARO Ltd in the civil lawsuit filed against it on August 2, 2021, after the office managed to stop the liquidation process launched by the company in early 2021 to evade its responsibility.

The statement revealed that a year and a half after the start of the civil lawsuit against the company, the exchange of regulations, and the holding of several hearings, the High Court of Justice ruled on the company's responsibility towards the victims represented in this lawsuit, and opened the second phase of the trial, which is the stage of determining the amount of compensation that will be due to the victims.

The statement said that Lawyers Nasri Diab and Camille Abou Suleiman, who are in charge of this file, stressed the fundamental importance of this ruling, as it is the first judicial decision to name one of those responsible for the powerful blast.

This designation constitutes the first judicially proven incident, which opens the door wide to the prosecution of other officials, especially since the trial led to the disclosure of documents and facts that may benefit the port explosion file, which paves the way for other procedures abroad and in Lebanon.

It pointed out that "the President of the Beirut Bar Association, Mr. Nader Gaspar, saw this ruling as a great achievement that strengthens the determination of victims and lawyers to proceed in search of the truth and determine responsibilities, and sheds light once again on the leading role played by the Bar Association and the Public Prosecution Office in the port's file."

This ruling resulted from the tireless and voluntary work carried out by members of the prosecutor's office of the Beirut Bar Association and the Dechert LLP office in London. The case was pleaded by English lawyer Neil Hart KC.

The statement also stressed the need to continue searching for the truth and prosecuting those responsible in this case.