Sri Lanka Telecom PLC v. Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka et al. – SC FR APPLICATION NO. 194/2016-2016

In the case between Sri Lanka Telecom PLC (Plaintiff) and the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka, Dialog Broadband Network (Pvt.) Ltd., and the Hon. Attorney General (Defendants), the Court addressed the issue of whether the decision and recommendation for issuing a new telecommunications license by the First Respondent violated the petitioner’s fundamental right under Article 12(1) of the Constitution by failing to observe the principles of natural justice and statutory procedure prescribed in Section 17 of the Telecommunications Act. It was held that the petitioner had established a prima facie case of violation of constitutional rights, emphasizing the requirement that public decision-making bodies must adhere to natural justice and statutory processes. This decision