Velivitiya Kankanamage Chandana Pushpamal et al. vs. Dinesh Chandra Rupasingha Gunawardena et al. – CA WRIT NO. 548/2023-2023

In the case between employees and representatives of the Co‑operative Wholesale Establishment (CWE), including various employee unions (petitioners), and state officials such as ministers, the Attorney General, and CWE board representatives (respondents), the court examined the legality of the proposed restructuring plan for CWE. Central issues included the implementation of a Compulsory Retirement Scheme (CRS), potential closure of the institution, and decisions regarding asset alienation, all challenged under the CWE Act and applicable administrative law. It was held that the restructuring, including CRS, constituted a policy response to a national economic crisis and did not violate governing statutes or principles of judicial review. The court reaffirmed the principle that judicial rev