M.S. Perera v. Forest Department and Another – sllr 1982 volume 1 page 187

In the case between M.S. Perera (Accused‑Appellant) and the Forest Department and Another (Respondents), the court addressed the validity of Regulation 5 of the Forest Ordinance concerning the requirement for a permit to transport timber. The issue centered on whether the Minister’s power to delegate permitting authority to the Conservator of Forests constituted an impermissible sub‑delegation of legislative power or a valid administrative arrangement. It was held that the regulation is valid, with the determination that the Minister’s conferral of administrative authority did not equate to a legislative sub‑delegation. The principle reaffirmed is the distinction between legislative delegation and the delegation of administrative functions, grounding the decision in statutory interpretatio