Shell Gas Lanka Ltd. v. All Ceylon Commercial & Industrial Workers Union and Others – sllr 2000 volume 3 page 170

In Shell Gas Lanka Ltd (petitioner) v. All Ceylon Commercial & Industrial Workers Union and Others, the court addressed whether the arbitrator appointed under the Industrial Disputes Act demonstrated bias through early preliminary observations during arbitration proceedings. Following the termination of a bowser driver and subsequent industrial action, an arbitrator was appointed, whose conduct was challenged for allegedly breaching the duty of impartiality. The court held that the petitioner failed to substantiate a real likelihood or reasonable suspicion of bias and reaffirmed the principle that exchange of preliminary views by an arbitrator for purposes of conciliation does not in itself constitute bias unless clear evidence exists. Reliance was placed on statutory requirements and lega