Environmental Foundation Ltd. vs. Central Environmental Authority and Others – sllr 2006 volume 3 page 057

In the case between Environmental Foundation Ltd. and the Central Environmental Authority and others, the court addressed whether the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) acted arbitrarily by granting project approval based solely on an Initial Environmental Examination Report (lEER) rather than requiring a full Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR). It was held that the CEA failed to exercise its statutory discretion properly, constituting an ultra vires and arbitrary act. The principle reaffirmed was that statutory authorities must exercise discretion reasonably, objectively, and within legal frameworks. This decision relied on provisions of the National Environmental Act and emphasized that technical committees cannot override statutory responsibilities, leading to the quashing