Samarasinghe v. National Savings Bank and Others – sllr 1999 volume 2 page 287

In the case between the petitioner (an employee of the National Savings Bank) and the National Savings Bank along with its Board of Directors and other respondents, the court addressed whether the Bank’s deviation from its established recruitment scheme—specifically, in the process of appointing the Chief Legal Officer—constituted an infringement of Article 12(1) guaranteeing equality before the law. It was held that the Board’s conduct, which involved bypassing standard procedures and appointing an ineligible candidate, was arbitrary and in violation of legal standards. The legal principle reaffirmed was that public bodies must adhere strictly to their own recruitment regulations and cannot act in an ad hoc or arbitrary manner when making appointments. The decision relied on constitutiona