The Manager, Bank Of Ceylon, Hatton v. The Secretary, Hatton Dickoya Urban Council – sllr 2005 volume 3 page 001

In the case between The Manager, Bank of Ceylon, Hatton (the appellant Bank) and The Secretary, Hatton Dickoya Urban Council, the issue considered was whether separate licence fees could be levied for the distinct functions of money lending and pawn-brokering under the Urban Councils Ordinance, when these activities were carried out by a bank. It was determined that such activities are inseparably part of the banking business, and thus should not be subjected to separate tax liabilities. The holding reaffirmed the principle that the term “banking” encompasses a range of financial transactions, including money lending and functions analogous to pawn-brokering, based on both statutory frameworks and common law as articulated in United Dominions Trusts vs. Kirkwood. The decision emphasized th