Writ petition filed challenging removal from post of OUSL Head of Legal Studies

The Court of Appeal has fixed for 14 September the hearing into the Writ Petition filed by the former Head of the Department of Legal Studies of the Open University of Sri Lanka Prof. Camena Guneratne who is challenging her removal from the post.

The calling date was earlier fixed for 18 July but a new date had to be fixed after the respondents, including the Vice Chancellor of OUSL and heads of its different departments, did not come to court on the day for which notice was fixed. The Petitioner is seeking to quash the predetermined decision reached by the Council of the OUSL to adversely terminate her from the post of Head of the Department of Legal Studies of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of OUSL. The Petitioner alleges that this decision was made prior to a comprehensive report of the inquiry against her being made available.

The Petitioner states that such decisions were made in a mala fide manner to ensure that the Petitioner could never be re-appointed to the post of Head of the Department of Legal Studies at the Open University of Sri Lanka at a future date in her academic career. The Petitioner states that these decisions were affected contrary to the Rules of Natural Justice and the Petitioner’s Legitimate Expectations.

The Petitioner is seeking  from the Court to a court to call for and inspect the record in this matter by directing any one or more of the Respondents to submit related documents to the court, grant and issue a mandate in the nature of a Writ of Certiorari quashing the decisions to remove the Petitioner  and grant an interim order restraining the 31st Respondent who was appointed in her place from acting and/or functioning and/or performing duties as the Head of the Department of Legal Studies until the final determination of this matter.