Koswinnage Sarath Lal Perera vs Secretary, Ministry of Public Services and other – CA WRIT 148/2020-2024

In the case between 94 retired public officers (Petitioners) and government officials, including the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration (Respondents), the court addressed whether the Petitioners were entitled to a revised pension as stipulated by Public Administration Circulars P2 (PAC 3/2016) and P4 (PAC 35/2019), in light of the subsequent suspension of the scheme by P5 (PAC 35/2019(i)). The court held that the Petitioners were not entitled to the revised pension, as no legal duty existed on the Respondents to grant such revision, especially following a Cabinet policy decision suspending the scheme. The principle reaffirmed is that pension adjustments are a matter of policy and not an enforceable right, and judicial review of such Cabinet policy decisions is restricted to