Siriwardana v. Seneviratne and 4 Others – sllr 2011 volume 2 page 001

In the case between Siriwardana (petitioner) and Senaviratne with four other respondents, the court addressed the alleged violation of fundamental rights under Article 12(1) of the Constitution, specifically concerning equality and protection against arbitrariness. The primary issue focused on whether the petitioner’s legitimate expectation—arising from her merit ranking in an examination and representations in the Gazette Notification dated 08.12.2006 (A)—conferred an entitlement to appointment as a Social Welfare Superintendent. It was held that the examination was conducted strictly to fill two notified vacancies, with future appointments subject to service requirements at the relevant time. The holding reaffirmed the principle that a legitimate expectation must be grounded in a clear,