Ceylon Printers Ltd. and Another v. Weerakoon, Commissioner of Labour and Others – sllr 1998 volume 2 page 029

In the case between Ceylon Printers Ltd. and Another (Party A) and Weerakoon, Commissioner of Labour and Others (Party B), the court addressed whether the Commissioner of Labour violated the principles of Natural Justice by disregarding the Assistant Commissioner’s inquiry findings and instead acting on new, untested material. The court found that such a reversal, without granting the affected party an opportunity to rebut the new evidence and without offering adequate reasons for the decision, contravened established procedural safeguards. Reference was made to statutory obligations and relevant precedents, confirming that the denial of a fair hearing renders the Commissioner’s order legally defective and subject to being quashed. The decision reinforces the requirement that adjudicatory