Dodangoda Arachchige Nirusha Nalani Padma Kumari vs O.T.M.S.E. Premarathne – SC FR 274/2016-2023

In the case between Dodangoda Arachchige Nirusha Nalani Padma Kumari (Petitioner) and O.T.M.S.E. Premarathne, Nishantha V. Lenarol, the Postmaster General, and the Attorney General (Respondents), the court addressed the legality of requiring a Sub Postmistress to appoint and remunerate a substitute at personal expense during no-pay leave periods following maternity leave. It was held that the challenge by the petitioner lacked merit, principally on the ground that the petition was time-barred and that the arrangement arose pursuant to both the Service Code provisions and the petitioner’s prior consent. The principle reaffirmed is that terms accepted upon appointment and explicit regulatory requirements under the Sri Lanka Sub Postmasters Service Code are enforceable, and legal relief will