The Ceylon Teachers’ Union vs Bandula Gunawardena Esq. – CA 96/2013-2014

In the case between The Ceylon Teachers’ Union and others (as Petitioners) and Bandula Gunawardena (Hon. Minister of Education) and others (as Respondents), the court addressed the issue of whether third-party intervention should be permitted in writ applications challenging Cabinet decisions related to the absorption of individuals into the Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service (SLEAS). It was held that appellate procedure rules and judicial precedent do not permit such interventions in writ proceedings except under rare, exceptional circumstances. The principle reaffirmed is that prerogative writ proceedings are limited in scope and do not allow for the intervention of parties not originally named, absent extraordinary justification. The decision relied on the Court of Appeal (Appel