FR petition against Cabinet decision

Eleven women yesterday filled a Fundamental Rights Petition today against the decision taken by the Cabinet of Ministers to reverse the recent amendments to the excise ordinance, legally allowing women to buy alcohol from liquor retail outlets.

The women claimed that the decision by the Cabinet to reverse the changes have given “rise to a reasonable apprehension regarding an imminent infringement of the petitioners’ right to equality and equal protection of the law guaranteed to them” by Article 12 (1) of Sri Lankan Constitution.

The petition highlighted that the move by the Government would be an infringement of their right to engage in an occupation of their choice guaranteed to them by the Constitution as the law will prohibit them from working at places of production and sale of liquor, depriving women of “an opportunity to engage in a lawful vocation”.

Article 12 of the 1978 Constitution prevents any person being discriminated “against on the grounds of race, religion, language, caste, sex, political opinion, place of birth or any one of such grounds.”

The petition was filed by lawyers Thamila Dinushi Perera, Thisya Weragoda and Sanjaya Marambe. (CD)