Independent Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. v. Wickremasinghe – sllr 1982 volume 2 page 519

In the case between Wickremasinghe (President of the Executive Committee of the Weudawila Multi‑Purpose Co‑operative Society Union) and Independent Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd., the court addressed whether the publication of a report by a sub‑committee was privileged as a matter of public interest, and whether the defendant had acted recklessly by publishing a defamatory report without securing a fair and impartial inquiry. The findings established that the sub‑committee’s inquiry was biased and irregular, and that the publication was issued without proper verification of facts, thereby not qualifying for the protection of privilege. The District Judge’s award of damages to the plaintiff was affirmed, reinforcing the principle that privilege cannot be invoked in the absence of fairness and im