Simmet (Private) Limited vs. J.A. Ranjith Former Secretary Ministry of Industries and Supply Chain Management – CA/WRIT/95/2021-2024

In the case between Simmet (Private) Limited and its associated parties (Petitioners) and the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka, Ministry of Finance, Department of Customs, and others (Respondents), the court addressed the issue of whether governmental directives restricting the purchase of locally sourced copper scrap and related export conditions constituted discrimination and violated Article 12(1) of the Constitution. It was held that the challenged administrative measures did not amount to a substantial infringement of the Petitioners’ fundamental rights. The decision reaffirmed the principle that regulatory restrictions imposed by competent authorities, when grounded in statutory and contractual frameworks, do not necessarily breach equal protection guarantees. The analysis drew on ex