WITHANAGAMA AND OTHERS

VS.

INCORPORATED COUNCIL OF LEGAL EDUCATION AND OTHERS

SUPREME COURT
MALALGODA, J.
FERNANDO, J.
THURAIRAJA, J.
SC/APPEAL/163/2015
SC/SPL/LA/261 /2014
CA/WRIT/181/2014
SEPTEMBER 7, 2020

Writs of certiorari and mandamus-Legitimate expectation-Discretion of a public authority-Reasonableness-Council of Legal Education Ordinance, No. 2 of 1900, section 7(1)-Council of Legal Education Rules, Rule 23(2)(VlII)

The petitioners were prospective students of the Sri Lanka Law College, who sat for the entrance examination for the academic year 2014. The petitioners had scored 64 or 65 marks at the said examination and complained that the decision of the 1st respondent, the Council of Legal Education to declare the cut-off point at 66 marks was arbitrary and unreasonable. They sought a writ of certiorari to quash the decision of

the 1st respondent to admit only 177 students to the Law College for the year 2014, and a writ of mandamus on the 1st respondent, the 2nd respondent, the Principal of the Law College, and the 3rd respondent, the Minister of Justice, to increase the intake up to 225 students. The petitioners further complaine