Mohamed Uzman Nazeem v. Upali Gunasekera, H.M. Gunasekara, and Hon. Attorney-General – SC F.R.30/2012-2012

In Mohamed Uzman Nazeem (through Mohamed Azvin Nazeem) v. Upali Gunasekera (Principal, Royal College) and others, the court addressed whether the petitioner’s right to equality under Article 12(1) of the Constitution was infringed by the school’s admission process. It was held that the exclusion of the petitioner from admission to Royal College did not violate constitutional guarantees, as the residency requirement was not satisfied according to established procedures and site inspections. The principle reaffirmed was that eligibility criteria reasonably and fairly applied do not amount to a denial of equality rights. Reliance was placed on admission Circular No. 18/2011 and prior evidentiary standards in verifying residency, underscoring that an objective and procedurally regular verifica