Selvanayagam Gnanasegaran vs. M. Abeygunasekara et al. – CA WRIT/80/2018-2024

In the case between the petitioner (representing the minor child Gnansagarn Thibesha) and school officials of Girls’ High School, Kandy, the court addressed the issue of compliance with religious ratio provisions in school admissions, particularly those arising from Clause 3 — 2/4 — 2 of Ministry Circular No. 22/2017. It was held that these religious ratio requirements are binding, having originated from the vesting of assisted schools in 1961 and upheld as unwritten law under Articles 167 and 168 of the Constitution. The holding reaffirmed that the state’s historic and statutory obligation to preserve religious ratios in admissions cannot be ignored or altered by unilateral administrative interpretation. The decision relied on the Assisted Schools and Training Colleges (Special Provisions