Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam vs Colombo Municipal Council – SC FR 08/2019-2024

In the case between Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam and the Colombo Municipal Council (including its officers and relevant governmental departments), the court addressed the lawfulness of retaining official living quarters by a former municipal official after retirement and the corresponding withholding of pension payments. The court held that the petitioner’s continued occupancy constituted an unlawful act under the applicable contractual, statutory, and regulatory obligations, but found no infringement of fundamental rights relating to the processing or payment of the petitioner’s pension as claimed under Article 12(1) of the Constitution. This decision reaffirmed the principle that property rights associated with government service are subject to explicit statutory regulation, and administrativ