R. S. Jameel and others vs Hon. Mahinda Rajapaksa and others – CA/WRT/0135/2020-2024

In the case between Petitioners (including vehicle purchasers such as Mr. Liyanage and others) and the 17th Respondent, Commissioner General of Motor Traffic, along with additional government officials and agencies (including Sri Lanka Customs), the court addressed whether the Petitioners were entitled to the registration of assembled vehicles based on a prior Supreme Court judgment (SCFR 304/2011) and a subsequent Cabinet decision. It was held that the Petitioners had a legitimate expectation of registration, grounded in binding legal directives and administrative assurances. The principle that administrative bodies are bound by lawful judgments and clear governmental decisions, especially when such reliance by the public is foreseeable and acts induce legitimate expectations, was reaffir