Bangladeshi claims against the British Geological Survey

20 February 2004

The Court of Appeal has today struck out a claim by a Bangladeshi resident in a test case against the British Geological Survey, part of the Natural Environment Research Council.

It was alleged that the British Geological Survey was negligent in its conduct of a pilot research study into groundwater movement in central and north-eastern Bangladesh in 1992. The Court of Appeal considered the claim would be bound to fail if it were allowed to go to trial.

The Court has decided that the relationship between the British Geological Survey and the claimants, who were not known to the British Geological Survey, was too remote for a duty of care towards the claimants to arise.

Lord Justice Kennedy said that to impose a duty of care in the circumstances of this case "would be a mighty leap which would render the concept of proximity almost meaningless."

The Natural Environment Research Council and the British Geological Survey believe the work was carried out professionally and competently and are confident that we would have won the action had it gone to trial.

We have the most profound sympathy with the plight of the people of Bangladesh in connection with these problems and we will continue work that seeks solutions to these environmental issues.

Further information

NERC Press Office
Natural Environment Research Council
Polaris House, North Star Avenue
Swindon, SN2 1EU
Tel: 01793 411561
Mob: 07917 557215

Notes

1. The UK Natural Environment Research Council funds and carries out impartial scientific research in the sciences of the environment. NERC trains the next generation of independent environmental scientists.

Bangladeshi claims against the British Geological Survey

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