Karunapala and Others vs. Siriwardhana and Others – sllr 2021 volume 1 page 309

In the case between Karunapala (on behalf of the Child Petitioner) and Siriwardhana (art teacher) and others, the court addressed the issue of whether a teacher’s act of corporal punishment—specifically slapping a 15-year-old student resulting in a perforated eardrum and hearing loss—constituted a violation of the child’s fundamental rights as protected by Article 11 of the Constitution. It was held that the actions of the teacher, as well as the negligence of the school authorities in failing to provide prompt medical attention and adequate redress, violated the constitutional protection against torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. The judgment reaffirmed the principle that corporal punishment and administrative negligence breach both domestic constitutional guarantees and