Dilan Perera v. Rajitha Senarathe – sllr 2000 volume 2 page 079

In Dilan Perera v. Rajitha Senarathe, the court addressed the issue of whether a Member of Parliament (the 1st respondent) was disqualified from holding office due to entering into contracts with government institutions while in office. It was held that such contractual engagements contravened Article 91(1)(e) of the 1978 Constitution and Section 13(3)(c) of the Soulbury Constitution, reaffirming the principle that persons found to have entered into prohibited contracts with the State are rendered ineligible to sit and vote as Members of Parliament. The decision was grounded in constitutional provisions and statutory instruments, including the Ceylon (Parliamentary Elections) Order in Council, 1946, and relied on appellate precedent (Dahanayake vs. De Silva). The judgment clarified that in