Sri Lanka Tea Board vs. Wikiliya Plantations (Pvt) Ltd. et al. – CA WRT/185/2020-2020

In the case between Wikiliya Plantations (Pvt) Ltd., Sesame Senhora Tea Company (Pvt) Ltd., and others (Petitioners) and the Sri Lanka Tea Board and its officials (Respondents), the court addressed the lawfulness of the suspension and/or cancellation of the Petitioners’ tea factory registrations on the grounds of sugar contamination and procedural due process. It was determined that regulatory authorities were empowered, under Section 8(2) of the Tea Control Act, No. 39 of 1974 and allied regulations, to suspend registrations to safeguard the purity and reputation of Ceylon Tea. The findings established that the process for suspension complied substantially with statutory and procedural requirements, and the Petitioners had access to an alternative statutory remedy that was not pursued. Th