Nestle Lanka Ltd v. Consumer Affairs Authority And Another – sllr 2005 volume 2 page 138

In the case between Nestle Lanka Ltd. and the Consumer Affairs Authority and Another, the court addressed the issue of compliance with mandatory procedural requirements under the Consumer Affairs Authority Act, No. 09 of 2003, concerning the rejection of an application for a price increase on essential goods. It was held that the authority’s decision to refuse the application without conducting an inquiry or providing reasons contravened express statutory requirements, rendering the decision illegal, void, and a nullity. The principle reaffirmed is that statutory bodies must exercise their powers fairly, reasonably, and within the procedural framework set by law. The decision relied on the provisions of the Consumer Affairs Authority Act and legal precedents upholding administrative fairne