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IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI

In the matter of an application for

C.A. Writ Application No.

343/2009

Dona Marian Sandya Kumari

Mission House, School for the Blind,

Ratmalana.

Petitioner

-Vs-

1. W. Dharmadasa,

Additional Secretary,

Education Quality Development,

For Secretary/ Ministry of Education,

"lsurupaya", Battaramulla.

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 lA. H.U. Prematilleke,

Additional Secretary,

Development of Quality

Education,

Ministry of Education,

u lsurupaya", Battaramulla.

And 08 ( eight) others.

Respondents

Before: Anil Gooneratne, J

Counsel: Kalinga lndatissa PC with Ranil Samarasooriya and Himali

Kularatne for the Petitioner.

Ms. M.N.B. Fernando DSG for the 1st to 3rd Respondents.

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Argued on: 21.11.2012

Written Submissions

Tendered on: 25.03.2013 and 29.04.2013

Judgment delivered on: 30.05.2013

Anil Gooneratne, J

The Petitioner to this application who has applied for a Writ of Certiorari as

described in the petition functions as the Principal of the School for the Blind in

Ratmalana. By sub para 'b' and 'c' of the prayer to the petition a Writ of Certiorari

has been sought to quash documents P25, P28 and p29 and more particularly the

decision referred to therein by not approving the appointment of the Petitioner

to the Post of Principal of the School and the direction to the Board of Trustees of

the Ceylon School for the Deaf and Blind to appoint someone else to the Post of

Principal. The crux of the case of the respondent is that the petitioner was not

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recognized as a qualified teacher" and that the petitioner did not possess a pass

in Mathematics at the G.C. E. Ordinary Level Examination which the Respondent

states the basic qualification to be recruited as a teacher.

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 The material placed before this Court by way of oral/documentary

submissions and the pleadings filed of record on behalf of the Petitioner have

been examined and at the very beginning it must be stated that the petitioner has

referred to circular P1 where changes to the existing syllabus was contemplated

as from January 1972 and as pleaded in the year 1975, National Certificate of

General Education Examination was held to Grade 9 students instead of G.C. E

Ordinary Level (P2). Circular P3 envisage the manner in which students woutd be

admitted to Grade 10/11 and the subject taught and the minimum qualification

that is required to follow the Grade 10/11 G.C. E. ( (Advanced) Level renamed as

National certificates of Higher Education Examination. Petitioner also relied on P4

Circular, which seeks to make changes to the National Certificate of Higher

Education Examination. The Petitioner state that she sat for National Certificate

of General Education Examination in 1976 and passed the examination and was

eligible to study for the National certificate of Higher Education Examination in

the arts stream.

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 The Petitioner state that in terms of circular P3 and P4, petitioner was

eligible to study certain subjects in the Arts stream and she selected the subjects

Economics, History and Sinhala for the National Certificate of Higher education

Examination which did not require a pass in Mathematics. The results obtained in

the above examinations are produced marked PS and PG respectively. Emphasis

by the Petitioner is that during the time she sat for the above examination unlike

today a pass in maths was not mandatory. In the above context, the question is

whether a writ should be issued and the extent to which writ jurisdiction would

invoked by the petitioner in the context of this case ..

At this point of the Judgment, having ascertained above it would be

important to consider the petitioners service record. By regulation dated

24.05.1983 marked P8, which regulation was issued under section 37 of the

Education Ordinance, the Minimum qualification required to be appointed as a

Teacher or Principal in Government Assisted Schools, such as the School for the

blind Ratmalana should have one of the qualifications stated below.

1) University degree.

2) Trained Teacher Certificate

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 3) Diploma Certificate in Music, Dancing, Art, Agriculture, Home Science.

Technical subjects or any other notified from time to time.

4) Passes in 3 subjects in the General Certificate of Education ( A/L)

5) Those in ( 4) above should obtain the trained teachers certificate within

10 years of joining.

6) A principal should be a University graduate with 10 years of teaching

experience.

The Petitioner in order to be qualified as per regulation P8, has furnished the

following material.

Petitioner was successful in the examination held in 1980 sitting for the National

Certificate for Higher Education Examination with 3 passes. ( PG) Eligible to be

appointed under (4) above.

The above examination held in place of G.C.E ( Advanced Level) consequent to

education reforms. Petitioner joined the school for Blind Ratmalana as a teacher

on or about 10.10.1983 ( P7). By P11 the Petitioner obtained the required

certificate from Maharagama Teachers Training College and passed out as a

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 Trained Teacher. P11 indicates that the certificate is valid with effect from

• 01.03.1994.

Petitioner was admitted to the Degree of Bachelor of Arts by the University of

Kelaniya and conferred the degree at the convocation held on 19.10.2003 (P12)

On 01.06.2004 the Petitioner was admitted to Master of Arts degree by the

University of Peradeniya and was conferred the degree at the convocation held

on 04.01.2006 ( P13)

In the above manner and having obtained the above qualifications the Petitioner

seek to establish the requirements or qualifications necessary to be eligible to be

selected as a teacher and principal of an Assisted School. In the process the

Petitioner also fortify her position and, it was submitted that the Petitioner made

an application to the Ministry of Education to be appointed as a qualified

teacher and that appointment was approved by the Provincial Director of

Education with effect from 01.02.1982 (P9 & P10)

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 Attention of this Court is also drawn to circular of 18.09.1995 ( P14) with regard

• to the procedure and qualifications required to fill special posts in Government

Assisted Schools, and by P15 of 03.04.1995 the Minutes of the Sri Lanka Teachers

Service are also produced. (Attention drawn to 1st schedule). lt is stated that with

the retirement of Mr. G.C. Mend is who was the principal of the school for Blind in

Ratmalana the Board of Trustees of the Ceylon School for the Deaf and Blind

appointed the Petitioner as acting Principal as from 15.08.2001.

This Court also has made a note of the following which the Petitioner

relies to support her case.

a) Consequent to the retirement of the then Principal of the school, one

G.C.Mendis, the Provincial Director of the Western Province by letter

marked P16 of 18.04.2002 called for applications for the Post of

Principal and the minimum qualification as stated in the said letter

indicated that the candidate should be less than 60 years who possess

a degree/masters/Special training pertaining to the field. Candidate

should also be a senior person of the Institute. P16 is a letter by the

Director to Manager School for Blind Ratmalana.

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b) Petitioner applied for the above post and the Board of Trustees

selected the Petitioner by letter P17 of 23.05.2002.

P17 inter alia describes the experience and achievements made by

the Petitioner in the relevant field.

c) Church of Ceylon by P18 (issued by Bishop of Colombo and Chairman of

Board of Trustees) approved the appointment.

d) Appointment letter by P19 issued to petitioner by the Board of Trustees

inclusive of the terms and conditions:- (signed by 4th respondent)

e) Board of Trustees by P20 confirmed the appointment and required the

Directors of Special Education to recognize and approve the

appointment.

f) Another important document relied upon by the Petitioner is marked

and produced as P31, ( 04/06/2009) where the Commissioner General of

Examination state that a pass in the subject of Maths was not a

mandatory requirement to study the subjects in the stream of Arts for

the National Certificate of Higher Education Exam. Letter P31 is self

explanatory and the writer of same express the view that the Petitoner

had been exempted from obtaining a pass in maths, and it is

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 unacceptable ( @e5)(5)2S @el))e)el) q)e)es) ) to insist on a pass in maths at a

subsequent point of time. lt is some injustice caused to a candidate.

On an appeal made by the Petitioner to the Minister of Education the

Director of Special Education by letter of 11.12.2006 requested for the

original letter of appointment of Petitioner ( P21). The Provincial Director

by P22 dated 20.02.2006 sent initial letter of appointment. As the

Petitioner appointment was not approved, the ih respondent on behalf of

the Board wrote P23 and P24 dated 22.02. 2007 and 17.09.2007

respectively. The 2nd respondent replied by P25 ( letter of 18.01.2008)

informing that petitioner's appointment cannot be approved by the

Ministry as the Petitioner has failed in Maths at the G.C.E Ordinary Level

Examination and that Petitioner does not possess the minimum

qualifications. By letter marked P28 and P29 of 25.01. 2009 and

16.03.2009 respectively the 1st Respondent had informed that the

petitioner appointment cannot be approved.

On the other hand lA to 3rd respondents resist the petitioner application

and inter alia pleads;

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 1) Documents Pl to P4 have no relevance to the matter in issue i.e.

appointment of principal to an Assisted School. As regards PS these

respondents stress that petitioner obtained only an 'E' Pass for Maths

(very weak).

2) Much emphasis is placed on letter 2Rl of 16.09.2008. This letter

addressed to Secretaries of all Provincial Councils and (ii) of 2Rl state

that a credit pass in Maths and Sinhala is essential and altogether

should be successful in 6 subjects. The 1st para of 2Rl indicates that a

decision has been taken........ 636~ ~6 ef~tl>. ( as in para 10 of the

affidavit of 2nd respondent)

This Court will no doubt , need to comment on the contents of 2Rl, at a

subsequent point in this judgment.

In the affidavit of the 2nd respondent it is stated that eligibility to study certain

subjects for the G.C.E. (Advance) level Examination is not a criteria to join the Sri

Lanka Teachers Service.

3) The school in question is governed by Board of Trustees and the Code

of Regulations for Assisted English Schools marked 2R2 of 31.05.1948

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 would apply. The Secretary Ministry of Education is the authority under

the Code as regards appointment of Teachers.

4) As in document P9 in the year 1987 proposal had been submitted on

behalf of the Petitioner and a recommendation made by the Provincial

Director of Education. However the Secretary Education has not

granted the approval. ( Perusal of P9 indicates an approval granted by

Provincial Director of Education. P9 document does not indicate a

signature to be placed by the Secretary of Education. The place to be

signed by the Education Officer had been scored off and for Provincial

Director of Education had signed- (~ .~ .~ .@e)@e)O )

5) Members of the staff of the Assisted Schools are not members of the Sri

Lanka Teachers Service.

6) Correspondence between the Ministry and the Provincial Authorities

2R3, 2R4, 2R5, 2R6 , 2R7 & 2R8. Recommendation made a fresh by

the Provincial Director on 23.05.2002 cannot be approved in view of

Petitioner not having a pass in maths. Some emphasis placed on 2R9 and

2R10.

The submissions on behalf of the above respondents proceed on the basis that the

Petitioner does not possess the threshold qualifications of a " qualified teacher" as

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per the rules and regulations pertaining to assisted schools. P9 as alleged by the

Respondent is only a proposal. Approval need to be given only by the Secretary

to the Minister of Education. Respondent also state that approval given if any by

the Provincial Authorities would not be valid.

This Court wish to make the following observations and express views on

documents submitted by the 1st to 3rd respondents as follows.

2R1- Secretary Ministry of Education addressed a letter 2R1 of 16.09.2008 to all

Provincial Public Service Secretaries about a decision taken by the Ministry of

Education. The portion that needs to be emphasized reads as ..... ef@)O:>lS)o<9~

~6~~ ~6 ef~o:> Necessarily it should be read to take effect as from the date

reflected in 2R1 and be prospective. Prior to the date reflected in 2R1, if it was the

case and the same position was prevelent there would not be a necessity to issue

such a letter. Other question is whether by a mere letter, policy which existed could

be changed or introduced ? This letter is prospective and has on an ordinary

reasoning and reading does not suggest any retrospective operation at all.

2R2 A code for regulation for Assisted English Schools (1948). This applies to

English schools and in that era it no doubt was mandatory to have such a code.
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Does it apply to the school for the blind in Ratmalana ? Respondents have not

drawn the attention of this Court to the applicability of the Code to the school in

question. Can it apply in the manner suggested by the Respondents, when the Code

specifically state English schools.

Respondents refer to regulation 51. This regulation the portion shown by the

respondents have been marked in such a way, it is hardly legible. ( 1) to (4)

separated with 'or'. As such even in ordinary usage 'or' disjunctive.

In 51 it is added that in exceptional circumstances the Director may approve the

appointment of a teacher, who has not passed the Senior School certificate or

equivalent. This would nullify Respondents point of view in any event . The

Code cannot apply to the school in question.

The Respondent authorities concerned, having detected or realized some lapse of

the petitioner exchange letters 2R3 to 2R7 There is no single document submitted

by the authorities concerned which refer to the date of appointment or immediately

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after that in the year 1983 where authorities were so anxious as in the above

documents to request for such requirement in Mathematics.

2R9 is somewhat the same to 2R1 and prospective in operation.

2R10 refer to some other person and refer to the G.C.E. (0/L) and not to the

N.C.G.E Examination offered by the Petitioner.

This Court reject letter 'x' submitted along with the written submissions of the 1st

to 3rd respondents. This is no doubt an afterthought and an attempt to smuggle

documents after the close of pleadings.

The 1st to 3rd respondents have not addressed their mind to the position as at the

time or period the petitioner was appointed as a teacher in 1983 ( in their attempt to

disqualify the petitioner) one cannot ignore the beginning of a career and forget it

and come to the end to destroy a legitimate expectation of the petitioner who has

obtained a degree of Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts Degree. Petitioner also

obtained good results in her secondary examinations and was successfull in both

National Certificate of General Examination and at the National Certificate of

Higher Examination. By document P31, it is confirmed by the Commissioner

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General of Examination that there was no requirement to have a pass m

Mathematics as far as the secondary education is concerned at that time or period.

Even if the position is different today it is certainly no bar to the petitioner to be

appointed as Principal since the respondent who are desirous of rejecting the

Petitioner at any cost has not looked at or was ill advised about the modem day

concept of reasonableness and irrationality. Both aspects which are relevant to

administrative law and in the context of this case would be discussed in this

judgment.

I would also add and stress that the petitioner who was also a trained teacher who

underwent training at the Maharagama Teacher Training College and passed out as

a trained teacher ( apart from the above degrees) had not been faulted by the 1st to

3rd respondent as far as her teaching career is concerned. Respondents have not

been able to fault or bring to the notice of this Court any slur during her period of

service beginning from 1983 at least upto the point of being nominated and

appointed as Acting Principal of the School. The Board of Management of the

school for the blind is the authority to recommend or not recommend a candidate

for a higher post, and as far as such nomination is concerned the Secretary of

Education would not be competent to fathom the required qualities/experience of a

candidate who has applied for the post of principal. Such a recommendation cannot
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be taken lightly and any attempt to spoil the career of a person who had made a

sacrifice for the sake of education and provide a service to the school for the

Blind Ratmalana, need to be resisted and rejected. Therefore I totally reject the

position taken up by the above respondents, it is nothing but an unreasonable

position to state that P 1 to P4 have no relevance, and a very narrow interpretation

or a narrow unacceptable view not to consider Pl-P4 as it goes to the very root of

the issue. Pl-P4 envisage a change in the secondary educational set up at a time

when the Petitioner had to offer and sit for the NCGE level examination. Therefore

it is a relevant fact/position which open up the media in which the Petitioners

entire educational process commenced.

The Petitioner having joined the school for the blind Ratmalana (P7) has satisfied

the requirement in regulation P8. I have no reason to doubt the petitioner

submissions on this aspect and also P9 though the respondent attempt to discredit

P9 ( 05.02.1987) after so many years. All this could have been resisted by the

respondents at the correct time. Instead acquiesed in the process. All PlO to P16

are documents which support and favour the Petitioner. I agree with the

submissions of learned President's counsel on same ( inclusive of required

qualifications) The other documents P17-P20 are documents supporting the

position of the petitioner which naturally led the petitioner to have legitimate
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expectation for the Post of Principal . In compliance with regulation P 15 and P8

the Petitioner has satisfied the required qualifications. Document 2Rl is

prospective nor can it amend or alter regulation P8 & P15. 2R1 is only

correspondence between officials and not a regulation.

In Eksith Femando Vs Manawadu & others 2000(1) SLR 78pg.

In the aforesaid case the Supreme Court, it is stated that appointment of Principals

in Assisted Schools and Unassisted schools has to be appointed as per the Assisted

schools and Unassisted schools Regulations, 1983, which is appended to the

petition marked P8.

This is a case of the Test of Wednesbury unreasonableness which apply, to

documents P25 ,P28 & P29. In Associated provincial Picture Houses ( K Vs

Wednesbury Corporation 1948 (1) KB 223. Per Lord Greene MRT referred to the

rubric of unreasonableness as ' a general description of the things that must not be

done." (pg 229)

It is settled principle today, however, that judicial review for unreasonableness is

not restricted to situations in which a public authority purports to make a decision

which is not in accordance with the terms of the powers conferred on it and that,

even if a decision on the face of it falls within the letter of these powers, it can still

be successfully impugned if it is shown to be unreasonable, in the relevant sense.

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The essence of this broader criterion of unreasonableness is contained in Lord

Greene' s observation that " there may be something so absurd that no sensible

person could ever dream that it lay within the powers of the authority." It is no

longer necessary to attack an administrative decision on this ground by having

recourse to the principle of an inferred error of law attributable to the decision

maker. In 1984, Lord Diplock recognized that unreasonableness can now stand on

its own feet as an accepted ground of review. Although the terminology applicable

has not escaped criticism on the basis of its inherent ambiguity, unreasonableness

or irrationality is at present accorded the status of a ground for review distinct

from illegality ( in the sense that the decision-making authority has made an error

of law for example, by purporting to exercise a power which it did not possess).

The hallmark of the Wednesbury connotation of unreasonableness is that the

repository of discretion, although acting within the four corners of the legislative

grant of discretion, has arrived at a decision which is repugnant to all reason -

Recent Developments in Adminstrative Law- G.L. Pieris pg. 189.

Judicial review has developed to a stage today which could be classified into

various categories. Illegality and irrationality take the lead. Irrationality could be

equated with wednesbury unreasonableness. Such a proposition could be easily

applied to documents P25, P28 & P29, since it is both unreasonable and irrational.
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I cannot stop at commenting on documents P25, P28 & P29 to be only

unreasonable. It is also irrational to Issue such letters without considering the

background to the case in hand and all facts and circumstances starting from the

year 1983, with the petitioners initial appointment as a teacher to the school for the

blind Ratmalana. Irrationality would be interchangeable with unreasonableness .

Let me refer to some authorities on irrationality, which badly affect documents

P25,P28 & P29.

What does irrationality mean ? In a normal context it could be described as

irrational conduct, irrational behavior, irrational thinking or irrational decision. In

whatever context one may use it, in a legal sense, it could be a ground to review a

decision of a public body vested with power to decided a question of fact or law.

Irrationality is one of the common law grounds of judicial review of administrative

action. It is presumed that public authorities are never empowered to exercise their

powers irrational, therefore irrational action by a public authority is considered to

be ultra vires. Although it denotes behavior that falls short of what is to be

expected of a rational public authority, the precise parameters of the term are
20
unclear and it has been used to describe a range of behavour. It is often used

interchangeably with the term Wednesburys unreasonableness but has become the

more common term since the case of Council of Civil Service UnionVs Minister

for the Civil Service ( 1985) Ac 374 (HL) in which term irrationality, illegality

and procedural impropriety were used to define the Common law grounds heads of

judicial review. Oxford Dictionary of Law 6th Ed. Elizabeth A. Martin & Jonathan

Law.

In Lord Diplock's formal statement on Judicial review (Wade-Administrative Law

9th Ed. Pg.1 001) describes irrationality in the following manner.

By 'irrationality' I mean what can by now be succinctly referred to as

'Wednesbury unreasonableness' ( Associated Provincial Picture Houses Ltd. V

Wednesbury Corporation ( 1948) 1 KB 223). It applies to a decision which is so

outrageous in its defiance of logic or of accepted moral standards that no sensible

person who had applied his mind to the question to be decided could have arrived

at it. Whether a decision falls within this category is a question that judges by their

training and experience should be well equipped to answer, or else there would be

something badly wrong with our judicial system. To justify the Court's exercise of

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this, role, resort I think is today no longer needed to viscount Radcliffe' s ingenious

explanation in Edwards V Bairstow ( 1956) AC 14 of irrationality as a ground for a

court's reversal of a decision by ascribing it to an inferred unidentifiable mistake

of law by the decision-maker, "Irrationality" by now can stand upon its own feet

as an accepted ground on which a decision may be attacked by judicial review.

In another case court took the view as follows:

R V Secretary of State Environment, ex-parte Fielder Estates ( Canvey Ltd)

(1989) 57 P & CR 424, is a good example of a case illustrating behavior that has

been deemed to warrant the designation of irrationality. After a planning

application to build houses close to Canvey Island had been refused, a public

inquiry had been set up which was expected to last for three days. During the

inquiry, one of the objectors, the Canvey Ratepayers Association, was to present its

evidence on the second day. When it turned up to do so, the Association found

that the inquiry had already been closed by the inspector. After a complaint had

been made to the Secretary of State, another inquiry was set up. But this time, the

other parties who had been present at the first inquiry, including Fielders Estates,

were not notified about the second inquiry. It was held that the conduct of the

Secretary of State was so unreasonable as to verge on the irrational and absurd. It

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also amounted to a failure to act with procedural fairness. Notice that this is

another useful example of where the rounds of review overlap, in that issues of

natural justice are also present in the case.

Developments in administrative law usually spread all over the globe. There ~s no

reason to doubt such development, and in Sri Lanka the Court of Appeal did not

hesitate to follow the dicta in Lord Diplock's formal statement on judicial review.

In Desmond Perera and Others Vs Karunaratne Commissioner of national Housing

1994(3) SLR 316.

At318 ..

In the question of the right to be heard, administrative action could be made subject

to control by juridical review under three heads.

i) Illegality

ii) Irrationality

iii) Procedural impropriety

Irrationality may succinctly be referred to as unreasonableness. It appears to a

decision which is so outrageous in its defiance of logic or of accepted moral

23
 standards that no sensible person who had applied his mind to the question to be

decided could have arrived at it.

In Fazrul Hefeera and another Vs Sokkalingampillai and others 1998 (3) SLR

60.

The decision on ' equities' is a matter where the Commissioner could exercise

his discretion. Such a decision could be reviewed on the ground of

'irrationality'. As Lord Diplock in GCHQ Case Council of Civil Service Unions

V Minister for the Civil Service explained " Wednesbury Unreasonableness"

applies to a " decision which is so outrageous in its defiance of logic or of

accepted moral standards that no sensible person who had applied his mind to

the question to be decided could have arrived at it." Unless ' unreasonableness'

or irrationality' could be treated as an extension of the principles of ultra vires,

the petitioner is faced with the obstacle of section 39(3) read with section 22 of

the Interpretation Ordinance.

The above grounds on unreasonableness and irrationality would be more than

sufficient to issue the writ of certiorari. Nevertheless there is also an error of law

on the face of the record. The 1st to 3rd respondents deliberately or otherwise ignore

documents P1-P4 merely stating that it is not relevant. This is a grave error as

24
stated in this judgment. Disregarding P8 & P 15 and absolutely no explanation on

same by the respondents is another error. The misconception of law and fact by

referring to 2Rl which has no legally binding force and 2R2, which is another

misleading item of evidence, whereas same applies only to English schools. Even

the reference made to regulation 51 seems to be another attempt to mi::>lead

Court. When Court considers the applicability of the above documents it is clear

that there is an error on the face of the record.

An error of law would constitute the following ;

(a) Erroneously refusing to admit admissible evidence and erroneously

admitting inadmissible evidence,

(b) Finding of fact based on no evidence ( Sirisena Cooray Vs Tissa D

Bandaranayake 1999(1) SLR 1, 33,

(c) Where the Tribunal acted with manifest or clear unreasonableness or

unfairness misconstruction of a document becomes an error of law.

Senanayake, J in Chas. P. Hayley & Co. Ltd Vs Commercial & Industrial

Workers 1995(2) SLR 42,50 ..

Record would usually constitute the formal order and all those documents relevant

to the issue and all evidence. It is a well known principle of equity and of

jurisprudence is that if a punishment is to be imposed law enacts that it must be

25
imposed prospectively and not retrospectively. As such documents relied upon by

the above respondents have no past operation. It has to be prospective. All this

must be decided on a case by case basis and not with any other standard merely to

disqualify the petitioner at any cost.

This Court has considered the case of the Petitioner and the contesting

respondents very carefully. It is a fit case to grant relief as per sub Paras 'b' and 'c'

of the prayer to the Amended Petition. This Judgment is pronounced granting

relief to the petitioner only as regards the issuance of Writ of Certiorari, having

considered or having regard to the special and exceptional circumstances which is

unique to this case.

Application allowed as above with costs.

(]1J~~~
JUDGE OF THE COURT OF APPEAL

Kpm/-

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