Atukorale v. Attorney General – sllr 1996 volume 1 page 238

Brief
In the case between Atukorale (Plaintiff) and the Attorney General (Defendant), the Supreme Court considered whether proposed amendments to the Pradeshiya Sabhas Act, specifically Clause 2 introducing new sections 9A and 9B, violated constitutional guarantees of the franchise (Articles 3 and 4(e)) and equal protection before the law (Article 12(1)). The Bill granted the Minister broad discretionary powers to alter boundaries, change the number of Sabha members, and dissolve or supersede local authorities without explicit statutory guidelines. The Court determined that while the Bill did not infringe Article 3 concerning the franchise, Clause 2 was inconsistent with Article 12(1) due to the absence of clear operational guidelines and lack of a specified effective date for ministerial