The Widesheeya Chithrapata Anayanaya Karannange Sangamaya v. The National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka and Others – sllr 1999 volume 2 page 040

In the case between The Widesheeya Chithrapata Anayanaya Karannange Sangamaya (plaintiff) and The National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka and others including Lakshmi Pictures (Pvt) Ltd. (defendants), the court addressed the issue of discriminatory statutory control exercised by the National Film Corporation regarding the import and distribution of films. It was held that permitting select importers to import used or runnable film prints while restricting the petitioner’s members to brand new prints violated fundamental rights under Article 12(1) of the Constitution. The decision reaffirmed the principle that statutory power must be exercised fairly, transparently, and without discrimination. Reliance was placed on the National Film Corporation Act and the constitutional guarantee of equali