Archbishop of Colombo v. Hon. Akila Viraj Kariyawasam & Others – SC APPEAL 54/2017-2018

In the dispute between the Archbishop of Colombo (Plaintiff) and the Minister of Education, the Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Provincial Minister of Education, and others (Defendants), the court addressed whether the Minister possessed the statutory authority to revoke a divesting order under the Assisted Schools and Training Colleges (Supplementary Provisions) Act No. 8 of 1961. The holding established that section 18 of the Interpretation Ordinance did not apply where the enabling statute expressly provided for vesting and divesting powers, thus precluding the Minister from revoking the divesting order by reference to section 18. This determination relied on a detailed interpretation of the enabling Act and the structure of statutory powers, underscoring that express statutory