Kuruppu v. Keerthi Rajapaksa, Conservator of Forests – sllr 1982 volume 1 page 163

In the case between Kuruppu (Plaintiff/Appellant) and Keerthi Rajapaksa, Conservator of Forests (Defendant/Respondent), the court addressed the issue of whether Regulation 5, made under the Forest Ordinance by the Minister and published in the Government Gazette, was ultra vires the Minister’s powers under section 24(1)(b), particularly in the context of the principle delegatus non potest delegare. The appellant, a Forest Officer, was convicted of aiding and abetting the transportation of timber without a valid permit, with the case focusing on discrepancies in the transportation permit, allegations of fraudulent practices within the Department, and the admissibility of evidentiary documents. It was determined that the Minister’s regulatory action under Regulation 5 fell within the statuto