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A long-standing legal battle over gender discrimination in Sri Lanka's liquor laws came to a close as the Supreme Court dismissed a Fundamental Rights petition, following the government’s decision to revoke discriminatory restrictions.
Cheers to Equality
In a landmark shift, a new gazette notification now grants women the legal right to:
Purchase liquor from any licensed outlet
Work in establishments engaged in the manufacture and sale of liquor
Consume liquor at retail premises
This replaces the controversial 2018 regulation that barred women from these rights, effectively rolling back a policy widely criticized as outdated and sexist.
Legal Challenge Pours Out
The petition, originally filed in 2018 by a coalition of women’s rights groups and activists — including the Women & Media Collective and CENWOR — argued that the previous gazette amounted to gender-based discrimination, violating fundamental rights enshrined in Articles 12(1), 12(2), and 14(1)(g) of the Constitution.
The Case that Stirred the Pot
The earlier gazette, issued under Minister of Finance Mangala Samaraweera, banned:
Women from being employed in or around liquor production and sales
The sale or gifting of liquor to women in taverns
Petitioners contended that these measures deprived adult women of autonomy and equal protection under the law.
Bench Closes the Case
With the recent government reversal, the petitioners withdrew their case. A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices S. Thurairaja, Mahinda Samayawardhena, and Menaka Wijesundera officially dismissed the matter.
Legal Representation
Senior Attorney Sanjeewa Jayawardena, PC, with Dilumi de Alwis and Prashanthi Mahindaratne, represented the petitioners. Additional Solicitor General Viveka Siriwardena appeared on behalf of the Attorney General.
A once-prohibited pour now symbolizes progress. What began as a booze ban has ended as a win for equal rights — and a toast to the law finally catching up with social realities.