The Supreme Court on Tuesday (02) issued an interim injunction, halting the Excise Department from issuing liquor licenses that violate the provisions of Sri Lanka's Excise Act.
The court order, effective until 10 May 2024
The order was delivered by a three-member bench comprising Justices Yasantha Kodagoda, Janak de Silva, and Arjuna Obeysekera. This decision came after considering three Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions filed by the Sri Lanka Liquor Licensees’ Association and other parties.
During the proceedings, President’s Counsel Sanjeewa Jayawardena and several legal counsels representing the petitioners informed the court about the irregular manner in which the Excise Department has been issuing liquor licenses. Consequently, the petitioning party urged the bench to issue an injunction preventing the Excise Department from bypassing the Excise Act and regulations while issuing such licenses.
