Alankarage Dona Chathurika Silva vs Sunil Hettiarachchi – SC FR/222/2018-2020

In the case between Alankarage Dona Chathurika Silva and Wellawalage Dakshika Chanima Wijebandara (petitioners) and the Secretary of the Ministry of Education, the Minister of Education, the Director–National Schools, and other state respondents, the court addressed the legality of the Ministry of Education’s introduction of a new 2017 state school admission criterion for the children of Judicial Officers. The court held that the abrupt deviation from a longstanding practice—facilitating admissions based on recommendations through the Judicial Service Association—breached the petitioners’ Fundamental Right to equal protection under Article 12(1) of the Constitution and contravened their legitimate expectation. Reliance was placed on principles of legitimate expectation and natural justice