📈 Court of Appeal Upholds Transparency in Higher Education

The Court of Appeal has dismissed a revision application by the Open University of Sri Lanka, ruling that evaluated answer scripts and marks must be released under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. • Legal Precedent: The court held that transparency and accountability are paramount, stating there can be no "hide-and-seek games" regarding student evaluations in higher education institutions. • RTI Dominance: It was explicitly ruled that university by-laws cannot override the provisions of the RTI Act No. 12 of 2016. Section 4 of the Act ensures it prevails over any inconsistent written law. • Integrity vs. Access: While the university argued disclosure would compromise examination integrity, the court found no basis to deny an examinee access to their own evaluated script and the marking scheme applied. • Jurisprudence: The ruling cited local precedents and Indian Supreme Court decisions, affirming that evaluated answer books constitute "information" accessible to candidates. • Procedural Note: The court observed the university failed to use the statutory right of appeal and did not demonstrate exceptional circumstances for a revisionary application.