Ceylon Homes International (Lotus Tower) Limited vs W.J.L.U. Wijeweera et al. – CA WRIT NO. 546/2010-2010

In the case between Ceylon Homes International (Lotus Tower) Limited and W.J.L.U. Wijeweera (Commissioner General of Labour), P.L.S. Lekamge (Labour Officer), and three former employees, the court addressed whether the decision by the Commissioner General of Labour ordering payment of compensation to terminated employees should be quashed by writ of Certiorari. The central legal issue concerned the lawfulness of termination under the Termination of Employment of Workmen (Special Provisions) Act (TEWA) in the context of alleged force majeure and the necessity of prior approval by the Labour Commissioner. It was held that termination without the requisite statutory procedure, consent, or approval was unlawful, and the Labour Commissioner possessed authority to award compensation in lieu of r