S M Halpe and Others v. Dr. Anil Jayasinghe and Others – SC FR APPLICATION NO. 54/2019-2019

In the case between a group of 83 SAITM (South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine) medical graduates (including principal petitioners such as U. W. J. A. Palugaswewa and others) and the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) and related state respondents, the court addressed the lawfulness of the SLMC’s refusal to grant provisional registration as medical practitioners to SAITM graduates who fulfilled statutory requirements under section 29 of the Medical Ordinance. It was held that the SLMC’s ongoing refusal, despite prior Supreme Court guidance and the petitioners’ compliance with statutory criteria, constituted a violation of constitutional rights, including equal protection (Article 12(1)) and the right to engage in a lawful occupation (Article 14(1)(g)). The court reaffirmed the pri