Mahanayake vs Chairman Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and Others – sllr 2005 volume 2 page 193

In Mahānayake v. Chairman, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and others, the court addressed whether a writ of Certiorari could quash an order terminating an employment contract arising from a contractual breach, and whether a writ of Mandamus compelling reinstatement could be issued when a specific statutory remedy under the Industrial Disputes Act existed. It was held that where employment termination stems from a commercial and contractual relationship governed by statute, extraordinary writs are unavailable, and a Human Rights Commission recommendation does not generate a legal right or impose a corresponding duty. This decision reaffirms the principle that public law remedies are precluded where an adequate and exclusive statutory process is prescribed for employment disputes. The holding