Sri Lanka 2026: Court of Appeal Gives Students Right to Access Answer Papers

Paper of Exam மே 09, 2026

Sri Lanka 2026: Court of Appeal Gives Students Right to Access Answer Papers

The Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka has delivered a landmark judgment affirming that examination candidates have the legal right to access and inspect their evaluated answer scripts under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The ruling was delivered while dismissing a revision application filed by the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) against an earlier order issued by the RTI Commission. This decision is expected to strengthen transparency and accountability within the Sri Lankan examination and higher education system.

2026 University admission

Landmark Judgment: Sri Lankan Candidates Gain Legal Right to Inspect Answer Scripts

Date: 09 May 2026

The Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka has delivered a historic judgment affirming that examination candidates have the legal right to access and inspect their evaluated answer scripts under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

📌 Case Details

Petitioner	Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL)
Revision Application No.	RTI/01/2024
Bench	Justice Dr. Sumudu Premachandra & Justice R. Gurusinghe

Background of the Case

A student who sat for the LLB Entrance Examination requested access to her evaluated answer scripts and marks under the RTI Act. While OUSL argued that releasing such scripts would compromise the "confidentiality and integrity" of examinations, the Court of Appeal dismissed their application, upholding the earlier order by the RTI Commission.

⚖️ Why This Judgment Matters

Transparency: Public educational institutions can no longer automatically deny requests for scripts.
Accountability: Reinforces the public's right to access personal evaluation records.
Trust: Promotes fairness in the national examination and university admission system.