Samarasignhe v. The Bank of Ceylon Ltd. – 1978_79_80 volume 1 page 221

The case between Samarasinhge (plaintiff) and The Bank of Ceylon Ltd. (defendant) concerned whether the Bank’s promotion scheme, which set different advancement requirements for direct recruits and internally promoted staff advancing to Assistant Manager, constituted discrimination under Article 12(1) of the Constitution. It was held that the scheme did not amount to unlawful discrimination, as the classification drawn by the Bank—based on educational qualifications and banking experience—was reasonable and aimed at promoting administrative efficiency. The decision reaffirmed that permissible classifications must have a rational nexus with their objective, maintaining that the burden to prove discrimination rested on the petitioner. The application was dismissed without costs, underscoring