Y.G. Gnanathilaka vs. D. Dissanayake – SC FR 240/2020-2024

In the case between the Senior Superintendent of Survey and the Public Service Commission, the issue of the retroactive application of amended promotion prerequisites was addressed. The matter arose from the alleged unlawful deduction of a period of no‐pay leave from the petitioner’s seniority calculation, which allegedly delayed promotion and affected career progression. It was determined that the actions of the Public Service Commission, particularly its refusal to implement the Administrative Appeals Tribunal’s order, violated the constitutional principles of equality and the prohibition on retrospective application of subordinate legislation. The decision reaffirmed that legitimate expectations based on established policies must be protected, and that unchallenged orders of the Adminis