Don Chandima Gamage and another vs R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Secretary – Samagi Jana Balawegaya and seven others – CA WRT 0586/25-2025

In the matter of Don Chandima Gamage and I.M.P.K. Illangasinghe against the Returning Officer, the court addressed the issue of a directive concerning the nomination of women members to the Kekirawa Pradeshiya Sabha. It was held that while the Returning Officer possessed the authority to issue a directive for women’s nominations under Section 65AA(3) of the Local Authorities Election Ordinance, the specific instruction compelling the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) to nominate all three of its proportionally returned members as women was arbitrary, irrational, and unreasonable. The decision reaffirmed the principle that the general obligation for 25% women’s representation should not be disproportionately imposed on a single party, and that such a directive breached legitimate expectations. T