Lt.Col.Semasinghe Wanninayake Tikiri Bandara Hulugalle v. Secretary, Ministry of Defence, et al. – CA /WRIT/APP/NO.338/2008-2011

In Semasinghe Wanninayake Tikiri Bandara Hulugalle v. Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Commander of the Army, and others, the court addressed whether the Commander of the Army’s decision to recover Rs. 976,115.28 from the petitioner, based on the findings of a Court of Inquiry into alleged financial irregularities, could be lawfully challenged by writ of certiorari. It was determined that the process for fixing responsibility and recovering losses was conducted within the authority granted by the Army Act and applicable Financial Regulations. The decision reaffirmed that judicial review by certiorari extends only to questions of legality and not to the merits or correctness of the administrative decision. As no manifest illegality or breach of authority was established, the application was