Sri Lanka Telecom PLC (SLT) vs. Right to Information Commission & C. J. Wijayawardhana – CA/RTI/0002/2023-2025

In the case between Sri Lanka Telecom PLC and the Right to Information Commission with C. J. Wijayawardhana, the court addressed whether the disclosure of legal fees incurred by Sri Lanka Telecom PLC under the Right to Information Act constitutes an unwarranted invasion of privacy or violates statutory or constitutional protections. It was held that such disclosure does not fall within the exemptions under Section 5(1) of the RTI Act and is not protected as confidential personal data; therefore, it must be released in the interest of public transparency and accountability. The principle reaffirmed is that information regarding the expenditure of public funds by a public authority should, as a rule, be made available, and refusal is the exception. This decision was grounded in constitutiona