Sri Lanka Transport Board v. Colombo Metropolitan Bus Company and Others – sllr 2008 volume 1 page 001

In the case between Sri Lanka Transport Board and Colombo Metropolitan Bus Company and others, the court addressed the issue of whether the Sri Lanka Transport Board, established under Act No. 27 of 2005, qualifies as a body corporate in the absence of an explicit statutory provision. It was held that the Board could not be regarded as possessing corporate personality without a clear and direct legislative intent. The court reaffirmed the principle that incorporation of a statutory body requires express statutory language outlining corporate characteristics such as a distinctive name, a common seal, and perpetual succession. This decision relied on interpretation of relevant statutes and comparison with precedents involving public bodies, emphasizing that statutory bodies do not attain cor