Migration Jurisprudence from the South › Sri Lanka

Challenge to the rule on women’s migration for domestic work (husband’s consent)

Supreme Court of Sri Lanka · Sri Lanka · 2013 · National court

Citation: Fundamental rights petition [number to be added]
Type of case: Constitutional and human rights
Outcome: Decided against the migrant side

Question

Does a rule that lets women go abroad as domestic workers only with family approval breach the constitutional right to equality?

What the court decided

The Court refused leave to proceed, finding the rule neither discriminatory nor a violation of fundamental rights.

In plain language

Sri Lanka required women who wanted to work abroad as domestic workers to get their family’s approval. A woman said this was unequal treatment. The Supreme Court did not let the case go ahead. The government later dropped the requirement itself.

Dalam bahasa sederhana

Sri Lanka mewajibkan perempuan yang ingin bekerja di luar negeri sebagai pekerja rumah tangga mendapat persetujuan keluarga. Seorang perempuan menyebutnya perlakuan tidak setara. Mahkamah Agung tidak melanjutkan perkara itu. Pemerintah kemudian menghapus syarat itu sendiri.

Pertanyaan: Apakah aturan yang hanya membolehkan perempuan bekerja sebagai pekerja rumah tangga di luar negeri dengan persetujuan keluarga melanggar hak konstitusional atas kesetaraan?

What happened afterwards

• 2013: Leave to proceed refused.
• 2014-01: Family Background Report made compulsory for women going abroad as domestic workers.
• 2022: Cabinet removes the mandatory report (policy change, not court-ordered).

Sources

• Sunday Times (Sri Lanka), 22 Sep 2013
• Daily FT on the 2022 Cabinet decision

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Cite as: Institute for Migrant Rights (2026), Migration Jurisprudence from the South, version 0.1, https://theimr.org/court-decisions/d/lk-fbr-2013/. This page summarizes a court decision for research and advocacy; it is not legal advice.