The Supreme Court has decided to dismiss a fundamental rights petition that sought to invalidate a circular permitting individuals to legally change their gender in Sri Lanka.
The petition was filed by retired Air Force Warrant Officer Shantha Jayathilake, who challenged the validity of the circular. It named three presidents as respondents: former leaders Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe, and incumbent President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
By rejecting the petition, the court declined to take it up for substantive consideration, meaning the challenged circular remains in effect. The circular provides an administrative pathway for individuals to have their gender legally recognised and updated on official documents.
The mechanism has been used by transgender individuals in Sri Lanka to obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate, which in turn allows amendments to identity documents such as birth certificates and national identity cards.
The court’s decision brings an end to this particular legal challenge, though it does not alter the underlying policy framework, which was introduced through health and administrative circulars in earlier years.
