Don Lasantha Pushpakumara vs. Commissioner General, Excise Department – 291/2021-2021

In the case between Don Lasantha Pushpakumara Bamunachchi Pathirannehe (Petitioner) and the Commissioner General, Excise Department, and the Divisional Secretary, Kundasale Divisional Secretariat (Respondents), the court addressed whether the closure and relocation of the petitioner’s licensed liquor shop was ultra vires, arbitrary, and a breach of natural justice. It was determined that the procedural requirements under the Excise Ordinance and relevant Gazette Notifications were satisfied and that the petitioner received adequate notice and opportunity to be heard. The principle reaffirmed was that a liquor license does not create a legitimate expectation of perpetual operation, particularly when public interest considerations support its relocation. The decision established that decisio