Sevanagala Sugar Industries Ltd v. Commissioner General of Excise et al. – NO.412/2011-2015

In the case between Sevanagala Sugar Industries Ltd (Plaintiff) and D.J.M.V. Hapuarachchi (Commissioner General of Excise) and others (Defendants), the court addressed the issue of entitlement to judicial review (writs of certiorari and mandamus) regarding administrative decisions on the importation of molasses. It was held that recommendations or opinions of administrative bodies, such as the Sugarcane Research Institute, that do not have direct legal consequences on rights are not amenable to judicial review unless they effectively determine those rights. Additionally, it was found that the petitioner’s act of importing without the requisite legal permit invalidated any right to legal relief, and that post facto issues including the goods’ disposal rendered the application moot. The prin