The Supreme Court has ruled that the Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation violated the fundamental rights of a senior Sri Lanka Administrative Service (SLAS) officer by preventing him from assuming duties in a post he had been officially appointed to.

In its judgment delivered on 19 May 2026, the Court held that Professor Kapila Perera acted arbitrarily and interfered with powers vested in the Public Service Commission (PSC), thereby violating the petitioner’s rights under Article 12(1) of the Constitution.

The petitioner, W.S. Sathyananda, a Special Grade SLAS officer with nearly 30 years of service, had been appointed as Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Transport in December 2024. However, after reporting for duty, he received a message from the Ministry Secretary stating that another officer had already been identified for the post.

According to the petition, Sathyananda later reported to the Ministry again but was allegedly told his services were not required and asked to leave. He subsequently returned to the Ministry of Public Administration’s “Officers Pool” before later receiving another appointment.

The Court observed that appointments and transfers of public officers fall under the constitutional powers of the PSC and not ministry secretaries. It stated that any attempt to interfere with or assume those powers undermines the rule of law and public trust.

The judgment further noted that the actions of the Secretary affected not only administrative procedure but also the dignity of the petitioner as a public officer.

While the Court declined to award compensation or costs, it stated that no amount could restore the “loss of dignity, embarrassment and humiliation” suffered by the petitioner. (Newswire)

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