The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka vs Lionel Dissanayake – CA RTI/04/2022-2025

In the case between The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (ICASL) and Lionel Dissanayake with the Right to Information Commission, the legal issue concerned the validity of the RTI Commission’s directive requiring disclosure of information under the Right to Information Act. The decision established that the RTI Commission’s directive was legally sound, holding that statutory timelines and procedural requirements under sections 31 and 32 of the RTI Act must be interpreted as directory in the context of appeals, provided that substantial compliance is achieved. Statutory exemptions to disclosure were found inapplicable in this instance. The holding reaffirmed that compliance with the RTI Act’s procedural framework and the principles of transparency take precedence unless stron