Aruna Iddagoda vs Hayleys Aventura (Pvt) Ltd – CA WRIT APPLICATION NO. 211/2020-2021

In the case between Aruna Iddagoda (Petitioner) and Hayleys Aventura (Pvt) Ltd (2nd Respondent) as well as the Hon. Magistrate, Magistrate’s Court No. 4, Colombo 12 (1st Respondent), the Court of Appeal addressed the legality of the Magistrate’s decision to issue summons on the Petitioner upon a private plaint for alleged disclosure of confidential information under the Intellectual Property Act No. 36 of 2003. It was determined that the Magistrate’s order failed to demonstrate the requisite evaluation of both the evidentiary sufficiency and the legal ingredients of the alleged offence under relevant criminal procedural statutes. The holding reaffirmed that judicial officers are bound to objectively assess the material placed before them—especially in prosecutions initiated by private comp