Wickremasinghe v. Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and Others – sllr 2001 volume 2 page 409

In the case between Wickremasinghe (petitioner) and Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and Others, the court addressed the issue of whether the termination of a longstanding petroleum dealership, effected by a public corporation acting in an executive capacity, amounted to an infringement of the petitioner’s fundamental right to equality under Article 12(1) of the Constitution. It was held that the termination was unreasonable and did not bear a fair and substantial relation to the objective of equitable and effective petroleum supply and distribution. This determination reaffirmed the principle that administrative decisions by public authorities must comply with constitutional guarantees of equality and non-arbitrariness, rather than being confined to contractual terms. Reliance was placed on e