Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Rohana Dissanayake vs. R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Secretary – Samagi Jana Balawegaya and others – CA WRT 0607/25-2025

This case concerns an application for Writs of Certiorari, Prohibition, and Mandamus challenging a directive from the Returning Officer regarding the nomination of women members to the Galnewa Pradeshiya Sabha. The petitioners, candidates from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), contested the 2nd Respondent’s instruction that all three of their allocated proportional representation members must be women. The Court found that while the Returning Officer was empowered to issue a directive under Section 65AA(3) of the Local Authorities Election Ordinance (as SJB did not meet both exemption conditions under Section 65AA(2)), the specific directive compelling SJB to nominate *all three* members as women was arbitrary, irrational, and unreasonable. The Court emphasized that the 25% women’s represe