Bhopal Gas Tragedy Verdict: Legal Accountability and Corporate Responsibility

The Bhopal Gas Tragedy, which occurred on the night of December 2–3, 1984, led to thousands of deaths and long-term environmental and health impacts due to a gas leak at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant. The legal response to this catastrophic event set precedents in corporate liability and mass tort litigation in India.

In the aftermath, the Indian government filed a civil suit against Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) in the U.S. and later in Indian courts. In 1989, the Supreme Court of India approved a settlement in which UCC agreed to pay $470 million in compensation, a sum that was widely criticized as grossly inadequate given the scale of the disaster.

The case raised important issues: Should multinational corporations be held to the same standards of accountability as domestic firms? Can economic liberalization go hand in hand with environmental and human safety? In later proceedings, the Court reopened the issue of additional compensation, and several criminal charges against UCC and its officials remain unresolved.

At Mullick & Co., we study the Bhopal case not only for its legal implications but also for its ethical dimensions. It underscores the critical need for robust legal frameworks on environmental protection, corporate governance, and disaster management.