Sinharaja Plantations Organic (Pvt) Ltd. and Others v. The Land Reform Commission and Others – sllr 1999 volume 1 page 247

In the case between Sinhrajaja Plantations Organic (Pvt) Ltd. and others (petitioners) and the Land Reform Commission and others (respondents), the court addressed whether the refusal by the Land Reform Commission to alienate vested land—following ministerial approval and governmental processes—constituted a violation of the petitioners’ fundamental rights, specifically equality under Article 12(1) of the Constitution. It was determined that the Land Reform Commission, influenced by a Member of Parliament, abdicated its statutory responsibility under section 22(4) of the Land Reform Law, engaging in arbitrary and discriminatory conduct. The judgment reaffirmed the principle that statutory bodies must exercise their powers independently and not succumb to external influence. Relief was gran