Thushara Malpriya Wilhanachchi vs Anura Dissanayake Former Secretary, Ministry of Education – SC FR NO 367/13-2025

In the case between the Document Assistants and the Education Documents Assistants Union (Petitioners) versus the Ministry of Education, its officials, and related state entities (Respondents), the issue concerned whether the refusal to re-categorize Document Assistants as Management Assistants – Non‑Technical – Segment 1 and to place them on salary scale MN‑2‑2006‑A constituted a violation of the right to equality under Article 12(1) of the Constitution. The court held that the differentiation in recruitment and salary between Document Assistants and Public Management Assistants was based on reasonable and objective distinctions involving entry qualifications, functions, and duties. It was established that these differences were justified and the resulting classification was not arbitrary