Centre for Policy Alternatives (Guarantee) Limited vs Hon. Attorney General – SC/FR/246/2022-2025

In the case between a group of petitioners (including citizens affected by emergency measures) and the Acting President of Sri Lanka, the court addressed the legality of the Proclamation issued under Section 2 of the Public Security Ordinance and related Emergency Regulations, in the context of the 2022 economic crisis and large-scale public unrest. The central issue concerned whether the state of emergency was objectively justified, and whether the resultant measures were arbitrary and violated the fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 12(1) of the Constitution. The court determined that the Proclamation and Regulations lacked sufficient objective, reasonable, and well-documented grounds, rendering them arbitrary, an abuse of power, and unlawful. Emphasis was placed on the necessity