Udeni Piyumantha Mahawithana vs H.M.Sirisena – CA PHC NO: 29/2016-2021

In Udeni Piyumantha Mahawithana v. H.M. Sirisena and Others, the court addressed whether the petitioner was precluded from seeking writs of Certiorari and Mandamus due to failure to exhaust alternative remedies, specifically, an appeal to the Public Service Commission (PSC) against the decision of the Provincial Public Service Commission (PPSC) of the North Western Province. The holding affirmed that the petitioner’s applications were properly dismissed, as recourse to the writ jurisdiction is discretionary and available only after alternative statutory remedies are exhausted. The principle reaffirmed is that writ jurisdiction cannot be invoked where adequate alternative remedies exist, as established by the Constitution, statutes, and the Establishment Code. This decision emphasized the s