Srivaratharajan Pirashanthan vs. University of Peradeniya & Others – SC FR. APPLICATION NO. 478/2009-2013

In the case between Srivaratharajan Pirashanthan (Petitioner) and the University of Peradeniya and others (Respondents), the court addressed whether the Petitioner was denied appointment to the post of Lecturer (Probationary)/Senior Lecturer Grade II/I in the Department of Tamil despite being more qualified, and whether this constituted an infringement of the Petitioner’s rights under Article 12(1) of the Constitution. It was held that the recruitment process was flawed, as the Petitioner alone was suitably qualified for the Senior Lecturer post, and the erroneous selection process contravened the principle of equality. The court relied on constitutional equality protections, emphasizing that selection procedures must be fair and criteria must be properly assessed. As a result, the Petitio