The Court of Appeal has ruled that the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) is subject to the Right to Information (RTI) Act, reinforcing citizens’ right to access information from professional bodies performing public functions. The judgment, delivered on 6 March, upheld the RTI Commission’s decision that CA Sri Lanka, despite being a self-regulatory body, holds statutory authority over the accounting profession, making it accountable under the RTI law. Legal experts view the ruling as a landmark step towards greater transparency and good governance in Sri Lanka.
The case was filed by a petitioner who sought information from CA Sri Lanka under the RTI Act, which the institute initially refused, arguing that it was not a ‘public authority.’ After the RTI Commission ruled in favour of disclosure, CA Sri Lanka challenged the decision in the Court of Appeal, which ultimately upheld the Commission’s ruling.
