By A.J.A Abeynayake
The Supreme Court (SC)issued an interim injunction yesterday (06) preventing the implementation of the Gazette Notification issued by the Ranil Wickremesinghe government, to increase the annual fees for liquor licences.
The notification, Gazette No. 2024/1, was challenged by the Sri Lanka Liquor Licence Holders Association through a fundamental rights petition. The petition was considered by a bench consisting of Justices Dilip Navaz, Kumuduni Vikramasinghe, and K. Priyantha Perera.
The petitioners’ legal representatives, President’s Counsel Saliya Peiris and Sanjaya Jayawardena, presented arguments in the case. After considering their submissions, the Court granted permission to proceed with the petition.
The petitioners argued that the significant increase in the licence fee by more than 50% — raising the annual fee to Rs. 20 million — would cause them severe injustice and violate their fundamental rights. The petition also named several respondents, including the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance.
The petitioners were represented by Attorney-at-Law Neelshanta Siriwimanna, and President’s Counsel Saliya Peiris and Sanjaya Jayawardena. On behalf of the respondents, Deputy Solicitor General Rajiv Perera appeared representing the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and other respondents.
The petitioners also requested that the SC to order the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance to issue a directive in line with the provisions of the Gazette Notification issued in 2017, regarding the collection of licence fees.
