Roberts and Another v. Ratnayake and Others – sllr 1986 volume 2 page 036

In the case between Roberts and Another (Plaintiffs) and Ratnayake and Others, including the Kandy Municipal Council (Defendants), the court addressed whether the termination of municipal tenancies, allegedly on discriminatory grounds, violated the second petitioner’s fundamental right to equality under Article 12 of the Sri Lankan Constitution. The issue encompassed whether executive or administrative actions arising out of contractual relations with a public authority could invoke the constitutional right to equality or required a statutory basis. The proceedings examined the nature of rights—contractual versus statutory—between the petitioners and the municipal authority, the application of relevant by-laws, and the treatment of similarly situated tenants. The court held, by the prevail