Kahanda Walauwwe Bandara Weragama v. Director, Pay and Records, Sri Lanka Army, et al. – CA WRIT APPLICATION NO.125/2009-2014

In the case between Kahanda Walauwwe Bandara Weragama (Petitioner) and the Director, Pay and Records, Sri Lanka Army; Kahawatte Plantations Ltd; and the Commissioner General of Labour, Department of Labour (Respondents), the court examined whether the 3rd respondent had jurisdiction to inquire into the petitioner’s complaint regarding salary withholding and termination after Army mobilization, and whether relief under employment-related statutes was available. It was held that the relevant cabinet directives and circulars applied only to government entities and not to private sector employers, rendering the 3rd respondent without jurisdiction. The claim was determined to be delayed and affected by misrepresentation of material facts. The decision reaffirmed the principle that statutory jur