N.M.M. Brothers (Pvt) Ltd. vs Sri Lanka Tea Board – CA WRIT 196/2020-2024

In N. M. M. Brothers (Pvt) Ltd. v. Sri Lanka Tea Board & Ors., the court addressed whether the suspension of the petitioner’s tea factory registration, executed as a precaution against alleged product quality issues, conformed to the principles of natural justice, particularly the right to prior notice and a hearing. It was held that, despite administrative urgency, the statutory and procedural requirements for fairness mandated grant of an opportunity to be heard before suspension. The court reaffirmed the principle that, even in preventive or emergency administrative actions, adherence to natural justice—including the audi alteram partem rule—remains mandatory, anchored in Section 8(2) of the Sri Lanka Tea Control Act and supported by established precedents. The decision underscores that