Dr. P.W.S.M. Samarasinghe vs Justice Priyantha Perera et al. – SC APPLICATION FR 524/2008-2014

In the case between Dr. P.W.S.M. Samarasinghe (Plaintiff) and officials involved in the appointment process for the Director of the Seed and Planting Material Development Centre, including the 15th Respondent and Justice Priyantha Perera (Defendants), the court addressed whether the appointment procedure was conducted fairly under constitutional requirements, specifically regarding the assessment of “direct relevant experience.” It was held that awarding marks exclusively for production-related experience did not constitute discrimination or a violation of the right to equality, as research experience was not categorized under the stated criteria for the position. The principle reaffirmed is that public appointments must comply with established procedural criteria, and the burden of provin