Kirillage Nishantha Upul Yasawardana v. Ceylon Electricity Board – CA/WRIT/449/2020-2021

In the case between Kirillage Nishantha Upul Yasawardana (Petitioner) and the Ceylon Electricity Board and others (Respondents), the court addressed whether a tenderer, under the Public Contracts Act No. 3 of 1987, was legally obligated to submit a Certificate of Registration prior to the closing of bids for public contracts exceeding Rs. 5 million. It was held that submission of the Certificate before bid closure is an enforceable term of the bidding process, binding on all tenderers, in accordance with both the Act and the procurement documentation. The principle reaffirmed is that strict compliance with statutory and tender conditions is mandatory in public procurement procedures. This decision relied on statutory interpretation of sections 6 and 8 of the Public Contracts Act, relevant