Karasinghe Arachchillage Ruwan Lasantha Deshapriya and others vs The Institute of Valuers of Sri Lanka – SC FR 372/2019-2025

In the case between Karasinghe Arachchillage Ruwan Lasantha Deshapriya and others (Petitioners) and The Institute of Valuers of Sri Lanka and others (Respondents), the court addressed whether the Institute’s actions concerning the petitioners’ applications for enrollment as Fellow Members constitute “executive or administrative action” within the meaning of Articles 17 and 126 of the Constitution, entitling the petitioners to fundamental rights protection under Article 12. The court held that the Institute’s functions fall within the ambit of executive or administrative action, thereby potentially attracting constitutional scrutiny for fundamental rights violations. The holding reaffirmed the principle that statutory bodies with significant State oversight may be subject to fundamental rig