Sirisumana v. Illangaratne and Others – sllr 1995 volume 2 page 158

In the case between Sirisumana (Petitioner) and Illangaratne and others (Respondents), the court addressed whether the promotion of the 6th Respondent to Senior Administrative Officer Grade IV was discriminatory and violated the petitioner’s rights under Article 12(1) of the Constitution, specifically regarding assessments of merit and seniority. Both candidates performed equally at the written test, but the 6th Respondent prevailed in interview performance and had benefited from earlier promotions in other grades. The petitioner challenged the calculation of seniority but failed to establish any mala fides or political bias in the promotion process. The court held that the assessment criteria did not amount to intentional discrimination, reaffirming the principle that state authorities ma