Dona Marian Sandya Kumari Kodduruarachchi vs W. Dharmadasa – 343/2009-2013

In the case between Dona Marian Sandya Kumari Kodduruarachchi (Petitioner, Principal of the School for the Blind, Ratmalana) and W. Dharmadasa (Additional Secretary, Ministry of Education), H.U. Prematilleke (Additional Secretary, Ministry of Education), and others, the court addressed the issue of whether the Petitioner possessed the necessary qualifications for appointment as Principal and whether the Ministry of Education’s refusal to approve her appointment was legally sustainable. It was held that the Ministry’s decision was unreasonable and irrational, as contemporary regulations did not require a pass in Mathematics at the G.C.E. Ordinary Level for the Arts stream during the relevant period. The court affirmed that administrative decisions must observe legal certainty, fair applicat