Wickramanayaka v. The State – 1978_79_80 volume 1 page 299

In the case between Mr. Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka, General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, and the State, the Court addressed the constitutionality of the Essential Public Service Bill, focusing on whether its provisions infringed fundamental rights under Articles 14(1)(g), (h), and (a) read with 14(1)(d), as well as Article 11 of the Constitution. The findings established that most restrictions imposed by the Bill were permissible within constitutional limits, provided they complied with Articles 15 and 28 concerning the imposition of limitations in the public interest. However, it was held that Clause 4(2) of the Bill—which mandates the automatic forfeiture of property and removal from professional registers—violates Article 11 by constituting inhuman or excessive punishment. It