Bank of Ceylon vs Right to Information Commission – CASE NO. RTI/0002/22-2022

In the case between Bank of Ceylon and Ceylon Bank Employees Union, the court addressed the issue of whether an application made under Section 34(1) of the Right to Information Act No. 12 of 2016 should be withdrawn following a request by the Petitioner. It was held that the application could be withdrawn, thus bringing the proceedings to a close without substantive adjudication on the merits. This decision reaffirmed the procedural principle that a court can allow a party to withdraw an application at its discretion, consistent with established procedural law and practice. The impact of the decision is the termination of the proceedings without a judgment on the core legal questions raised in the application.

Menaka Wijesundera J. — It was determined that, upon the motion of counsel for