Hettiarachchi Industries (Pvt) Ltd. v. Oaya Kanthi – sllr 1998 volume 3 page 337

In the case between Hettiarachchi Industries (Pvt) Ltd. and K. D. R. Daya Kanthi, the court addressed the issue of whether the termination of employment for alleged misconduct remained valid despite the subsequent destruction of the workplace by fire, and if the doctrine of frustration applied to end the employment contract. The court held that the respondent’s employment was validly terminated for misconduct prior to the fire, and the doctrine of frustration did not apply in these circumstances. This decision reaffirms the principle that termination for misconduct stands independently of subsequent supervening events like destruction of the workplace. Reliance was placed on the sequence of contractual events and established principles regarding frustration of contracts, emphasizing that t