Dinushan Sheranga Wijewardena vs Ceylon Electricity Board – CA WRIT APPLICATION 740/23-2024

In the case between Dinushan Sheranga Wijewardena (Petitioner) and the Ceylon Electricity Board with its officials and associated parties (Respondents), the Court addressed the legality of issuing a temporary electricity connection amidst an unresolved dispute regarding property ownership or occupation. It was determined that the decision of the Chief Electrical Engineer, as communicated in letter P20, to provide a temporary supply without adhering to the dispute resolution procedures under the Sri Lanka Electricity Act, No. 20 of 2009—specifically the requirement to refer disputes to the Public Utilities Commission under Section 39—was ultra vires, arbitrary, and contrary to statutory and procedural safeguards. The Court reaffirmed the principle that administrative authorities are bound b