General Metals Ltd. v. Perera, Secretary, Ministry of Industries, Science and Technology and Others – sllr 1996 volume 1 page 392

In the case between General Metals Ltd. and Perera, Secretary, Ministry of Industries, Science and Technology; the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau; and Lanka Phosphate Ltd., the court addressed the legality of a licensing refusal concerning a 50-acre area allegedly overlapping with territory previously licensed or applied for by Lanka Phosphate Ltd. It was determined that proper procedures under the Mines and Minerals Act, particularly the requirement for identifying areas by metric grid units, had not been met and that the Board’s decision rested on inconclusive evidence regarding the disputed area. As a result, the decision refusing the licence was set aside and the matter was remitted to the 1st Respondent for a new hearing, reaffirming the principle that licensing authorities must b