The case hinged on whether the company - which granted tourism operators and scientific groups access to the volcano for a fee - should have been in charge of safety practices on the island under New Zealand's workplace health and safety laws.
Today's ruling absolves the company that owns the active volcano on New Zealand's North Island, Whakaari Management, from paying millions of dollars in restitution to the families of those killed and the survivors.
The judge ruled it was not unreasonable for the company to rely on tourism operators and emergency management and scientific agencies to assess the risks of activities on the island and manage safety precautions.
In Friday's written ruling, Justice Simon Moore ruled the company did not have a duty under the relevant law to ensure that the walking tour workplace was without risks to health and safety.
The owners of a New Zealand volcano island where 22 tourists and local guides died in an eruption have had their criminal conviction for failing to keep visitors safe thrown out by a judge.
