Bandara v. Wickremasinghe – sllr 1995 volume 2 page 167

In the case between Bandara (the minor student) and Wickremasinghe (representing the school authorities/respondents), the Court addressed whether the physical assault by school staff on a minor student constituted executive or administrative action infringing upon the student’s fundamental rights under Article 11 of the Constitution. The primary holding established that acts carried out by school authorities “under the colour of office,” even when purportedly for disciplinary purposes, can result in state liability for human rights violations when such acts exceed legitimate authority. The decision reaffirmed that physical assaults by school staff, performed within their official capacity during school hours, constitute actionable breaches of constitutional protections. The judgment relied