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Timestamp: 2019-04-21 08:14:41+00:00

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154 C & 154 .F of the Constitution.
Ministers in each Council, in the opinion of the Governor, commanded the support of the majority of theProvincialCouncil.
and acting upon the order and direction ofthePresidentunderthesaidArticles,dissolvedtheProvincialCouncil.
required to be exercised on the direction of the President.
(b). Whether Article 154 B (8) (d) contemplates the exercise of the Governor's power solely as a delegate.
(c). Whether the proviso appearing immediately after Article 154 B (9) applies to Article 154 B (8) (d).
paragraph of Article 154 B, including Article 154 B (c) and (d).
coupled with a duty imposed by Article 154 B (8) (d), to exercise it in accordance with the adviceoftheChiefMinister.
That duty is mandatory. Hence, the Governor cannot exercise the power in his discretion, on the directions of thePresident.
become final within the meaning of Article 154 F (2).
3. The power of dissolution of a Provincial Council is conferred by Parliament on the Governor byArticle154B(8)(c).
power solely as a delegate.
1. Rai Karishna Bose v. Binod Kanungo AIR 1954 SC 202.
2. Piper v. Harvey (1958) 1 QB 439.
3. In Re the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution and the Provincial Councils Bill (1987) 2 Sri LR 312.
4. Hanlon v. The Law Society (1980) 2 All ER 199, 221.
5. Houston v. Bums (1918) AC 337, 348.
6. Jones v. Wrotham Park Settled Estates (1979) 1 All ER 286, 289.
7. l. R. C. v. Hinchy (1960) AC 748.
8. l. R. C. v. Ayrshire Employers, Mutual Insurance Association Ltd. (1946) 1 All ER 637.
9. Bribery Commissioner v. Ranasinghe 66 NLR 66, 73.
10. Income Tax Special Purpose Commissioner v. Pemsel (1891) AC 531, 549.
11. Richards v. McBride (1881) 8 QBD 119, 122.
12. Spillers Ltd. v. Cardiff Assessment Committee (1931) 2 KB 21, 43.
13. New Piymouth Borough Council v. Tamak Electric Power Board (1933) AC 680, 682.
14. R. v. Schildkamp (1971) AC 1.
15. Uttar Pradesh v. Babu Upadhaya AIR 1961 SC 751.
16. Premachandra v. Jayawickrame and Another (1944) 2 Sri LR 90.
17. Re Baker (1890) 44 Ch. D. 262, 270.
18. Council of Civil Service Unions v. Minister for the Civil Service (1985) AC 374, 410.
19. Somawathie v. Weerasinghe (1990) 2 Sri LR 121.
20. Dunn v. The Queen (1896) 1 QB 116.
21. Hales v. The King (1918) 34 TLR 589.
22. Denning v. Secretary of State for India (1920) 37 TLR 138.
23. Whiteman v. Sadler (1910) AC 514, 527.
24. N. Stafford Steel Co. v. Ward LR 3 Ex. 172, 177.
25. Felix v. Shiva (1982) 3 All ER 262, 266.
APPEALS from judgments of the Court of Appeal.
appellant in SC Appeal No. 41/96.
Obeysekera for appellant in SC Appeal No. 42/96.
Appeals Nos. 41 & 42/96 and added respondent in SC Appeal 41/96.
U. Egalahewa, SC for 2nd respondent.
* The Governor 'referred the question of [the] dissolution of the Provincial Council . . . for an order and direction to ..
. [the President of the Republic] in terms of Article 154 [B] read with Article 154 [F] of the Constitution'.
to dissolve the Provincial Council, in question.
case of the North Central Provincial Council (SC Appeal No. 41/96), and the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council(SCAppealNo.
42/96), the date was January 03, 1996.
called for nominations commencing on January 18, 1996.
(e) costs and such other and further relief as to the court may seem meet.
of Writs of Certiorari quashing the notification.
revived by virtue of the order of the Court holding the dissolution to be null and void and quashing the dissolution.
Each of the Chief Ministers were allowed costs in a sum of Rs. 35,000 against the respective Governors.
required to be exercised on the directions of the President.
(b) Whether Article 154 B (8) (d) contemplates the exercise of the , Governor's power solely as a delegate.
Governor of the Sabaragamuwa Province, and by the Deputy Solicitor-General on behalf of the Commissioner of Elections.
Learned counsel were heard on September 23 and 24, 1996, and the court took time for consideration.
answer to the thirdand (2) since such an approach minimizes repetition.
DOES THE PROVISO APPEARING IMMEDIATELY AFTER ARTICLE 154 B (9) APPLY TO ARTICLE 154 B (8)?
(b) The Governor may, from time to time, prorogue the Provincial Council.
(c) The Governor may dissolve the Provincial Council.
as the Board of Ministers commands, in the opinion of the Governor, the support of the majority of the Provincial Council.
necessary to do so in the public interest, he may refer that case to the President for orders.
the orders of dissolution were lawful and valid.
recommends, and not the Cabinet of Ministers, and the President, is not bound by the recommendation.
it in the English courts. Punctuation may have its uses in some cases, but it cannot be regarded asacontrollingelement.
remains supreme or sovereign in the executive field and the Provincial Council is only a body subordinate to him.
be allowed to remain in the hands of one man - the Chief Minister.
the proviso is in its proper place and makes sense.
with a conflict of opinion with the Board of Ministers.
Board of Ministers commands, in the opinion of the Governor, the support of the majority of the Provincial Council.
must be taken that Parliament made a deliberate departure.
the intention of which is to narrow the effect of the preceding words. (Francis Bennion, Statutory Interpretation,1984,p.
out a part of the main section for special treatmentit is not expected to enlarge the scope of the main section.
intended to apply to the words immediately preceding it in Article 154 B (9).
complainant to produce his entire evidence -The emphasis is mine.
words immediately preceding the proviso in Article 154 B (9).
Council, which is what Article 154 B (8) (c) and (d) deals with.
limitation to other enactments or were itself a positive enactment has often been pointed out.
Prime Minister to compel recalcitrant supporters in the Commons to conform.
The proviso makes good sense where it is located, but it would not do so if it is made applicable to Article 154 B(8)(d).
proviso into Article 154 B (8) would create ambiguities where none exist.
general, punctuation is of little weight, since the sense of a provision should be the same with or without itspunctuation.
Punctuation is a rational part of English composition and is quite significantly employed.
the proviso applicable to Article 154 B (8) (c) and (d).
What this court is invited to do is to adopt a 'purposive' and strained construction.
by the draftsman and approved by Parliament had their attention been drawn to the omission before the Bill passedintolaw.
justified as an exercise of its jurisdiction to determine what is the meaning of a written law which Parliament has passed.
Have the conditions calling for a purposive-and-strained construction been satisfied?
there is insufficient indication of what the legislative purpose is or just how itistobecarriedout:l.R.C.v.
in national life and government.
Ministers in the enactment of laws and the governance of Sri Lanka for the establishment of a just and free society.
with respect to each province - that is what devolution means - gives shape to the devolutionary principle.
government is responsive to the people's desires and aspirations.
Constitution were devolved on the Governor in respect of certain specified matters of anessentiallyProvincialcharacter.
Governor's powers are stated in Article 154 B (9) to be 'subject to [the President's] directions'.
people can know and rely upon 'the rules of the game.
Ordinance, (cap. 252)), Urban Councils (cf. section 184 Urban Councils Ordinance, (cap.255),)orPradeshiyaSabhas(cf.
to use Herman Schwartz's phrase, were prescribed for Provincial Councils.
(b) dissolve the Legislative Assembly.
procedure for the dissolution of Provincial Councils. This would appear to be so.
a Provincial level, who might be affected by the exercise of the Governor's power of dissolution.
with the legislative purpose. The construction suggested by the appellants would be inimical to the legislative purpose.
they stand, however strongly it may be suspected that the result does not represent the real intention of Parliament.
intention of Parliament, and there is no need to look elsewhere to discover the intention or their meaning.
the Governor shall appoint the leader of that political party in the Council as Chief Minister.
constituted for that Province, the other Ministers.
Provincial Councils elections. (Article 154 A (2)).
manifest absurdity or injustice. I must give the words in Article 154 B (8) (c) and (d) its 'ordinaryandprimarymeaning.
been inserted by the draftsman and approved by Parliament. Arguably, Lord Diplock's third point wasoverstated.(SeeRv.
words of the proviso in Article 154 B (9) were intended by Parliament to be inserted into Article 154 . B (8) (d).
paragraph of Article 154 B, including Article 154 B (8) (c) and (d).
EXERCISED ON THE DIRECTIONS OF THE PRESIDENT.
and if so (2) whether such power has to be exercised on directions given by the President.
The submissions of the appellants on the question whether Article154 B (8) (c) contemplates a discretionary power.
(8) (a) states that the Governor shall exercise his powers . . . inaccordancewiththeadviceoftheChiefMinister.
that the provision was directory. (Bindra, op. cit., page 1113)Uttar Pradesh v. Babu Upadhaya(15).
deciding in his discretion that the dissolution of the Council is a matter as respects which he can act in his discretion.
The submissions of the respondents on the question whether Article 154 B (8) (c) contemplates a discretionary power.
Governor shall do so. The power of dissolution given by Article 154 B (8) (c) is not discretionary.
must carry out his legal duty in accordance with the relevant provision: Premachandra v. Jayawickrame and another(16).
interpretation, elevating Article 4 (b) to such a supra-level, is wholly unacceptable.
My view on the question whether Article 154 B (8) (c) contemplates a discretionary power.
(2) if it pursues an objective other than that for which the power to make the decision was conferred.
failed, in reaching its decision, to follow a prescribed procedure - procedural ultra vires.
over which powers are given by the section under which the competent authority purports to act.
administrative law are generalized rules of statutory interpretation.
dissolution of the Council is void.
the Board of Ministers, in the opinion of the Governor, did command the support of the majority of the Provincial Council.
by calling in aid other provisions of the Constitution.
directory the thing done will be unaffected, though there may be some sanction for disobedience imposed on the personbound.
accordance with the duty imposed on him by law, the Governor acted illegally.
his discretion. The exercise of the Governor's discretion shall be on the President's directions.
Service Unions v. Minister for the Civil Service(18).
powers are normally regarded as mandatory so that it is fatal to disregard them.
I am of the view that Article 154 B (8) (c) does not contemplate a discretionary power by the Governor.
be exercised on the directions of the President does not arise.
DOES ARTICLE 154 B (8) (C) CONTEMPLATE THE EXERCISE OF THE GOVERNOR'S POWER SOLELY AS A DELEGATE?
take over of the Council for a year under Article 154 K in no way achieves this supremacy.
that the Governor acts as adelegateofthePresident.Article154B(8)(c)contemplatesadiscretionarypower.
under Article 154 F (2), and not otherwise.
Bindra, op. cit., page 941.
function in Article 154 B itself.
be given to the specific provision contained in Article 154 B (8) (c) and (d): Halsbury, op. cit., paragraph 875.
353). The power of dissolution of a Provincial Council is conferred by Parliament on the Governor by Article 154 S(8)(c).
out earlier, he had a legal duty in the circumstances to act on the advice of the Chief Minister.
only a body subordinate to him.
should be able to disembarrass itselfofanyemployeeatanymoment':WadeandForsyth,op.cit.,atpp.70-71.
is stated to be the Supreme Law, and which the Governor has, in terms of Article 154 B (6) solemnly undertaken to uphold.
dealt with by the specific provision.
general things do not derogate from special things.
hold that Article 154 B (8) must be operative on the question of the power of the Governor to dissolve a Provincial Council.
brought into existence by that method and none other.
powers of the Governor, not as a delegate, but as a person directly conferred by Parliament with thepowerofdissolution.
same responsibility for every act done without legal justification as any other citizen.
that power exactly in the manner prescribed by Parliament.
SC Appeal No. 42/96 and dismiss the appeals in both cases.
The first appellant in each of the appeals shall pay Rs. 7,500 as costs.
G. P. S. DE SILVA, CJ. - I agree.
RAMANATHAN, J. - I agree.

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