Public Health Inspector, Mannar vs Kanapathipillai Arumugasamy – CA PHC/194/14-2022

In the case between the Public Health Inspector, Mannar (Respondent) and Kanapathipillai Arumugasamy, Eliyas Anthonipillai, and Arumugasamy Kishotharan (Appellants), the court addressed the issue of whether certain company employees—specifically the Regional Manager, Production Manager, and Assistant Production Manager of Manthai Salt Ltd.—could be held personally liable under Section 27 of the Food Act No. 26 of 1980, in the absence of the body corporate or its directors being named as accused. The court held that the appellants did not fall within the category of “director, general manager, secretary, or other similar officer” as envisaged by Section 27, and therefore should not have been prosecuted individually. This decision reaffirmed the principle of statutory interpretation using ej