J.B. Gurusinghe vs Engineering Council Sri Lanka – CA Writ 577/2021-2024

In the case between several engineering professionals and trade unions (including prominent petitioners such as the Institution of Incorporated Engineers, Sri Lanka, and related petitioner bodies) and the Engineering Council of Sri Lanka (ECSL) alongside associated respondents, the central issue addressed was whether ECSL Circular No. 01/2021—mandating the registration of all engineers—exceeded the statutory authority conferred by the Engineering Council, Sri Lanka Act No. 4 of 2017, and whether it improperly favored certain professional bodies while infringing upon procedural and substantive rights. It was determined that the Circular was ultra vires, procedurally flawed, discriminatory, and violated legitimate expectations. The holding reaffirmed the principle that state entities must ac