Captain Channa D.L. Abeygunewardena vs Sri Lanka Ports Authority et al. – CA WRIT/31/2016-2016

The case between Captain Channa D.L. Abeygunewardena and Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Dammika Ranathunga (Chairman, Sri Lanka Ports Authority), and Magampura Port Management Company (Pvt) Ltd (MPMC) concerned the issuance of writs of Certiorari and Mandamus regarding the petitioner’s suspension and subsequent termination from employment. It was determined that such writs could not be granted in the context of a purely private contractual dispute where no statutory or public duty arose. The court reaffirmed the principle that writ jurisdiction is not available where the underlying obligation is contractual in nature, even if a public authority is involved, unless statutory duties are implicated. This decision relied on the Companies Act, the Ports Authority Act, and case law including Vidyoda