Ranasinghe vs Minister of Foreign Affairs and Others – sllr 2010 volume 1 page 178

In the case between the petitioner, an English stenographer assigned to the Sri Lanka Mission in Pakistan, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs along with other governmental respondents, the court considered whether a non-diplomatic officer from a foreign mission is entitled to duty free concessions for importing a motor vehicle as personal property under the Vienna Conventions and a Ministry Circular. It was held that only those holding diplomatic rank, as defined under the Diplomatic Privileges Act and Ministry Circular, qualify for such concessions, reaffirming the principle that duty free privileges are restricted to individuals with diplomatic status. This decision relied on the Diplomatic Privileges Act No. 9 of 2009 and the Customs Ordinance, emphasizing that non-diplomatic staff rev