The Supreme Court held today that Baqian Law Group Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd, a Chinese law firm, is not entitled to engage in any legal professional work within Sri Lanka.

Nayantha Wijesundara a lawyer by profession, had filed this Fundamental Rights petition challenging the decision of the Registrar General of Companies to incorporate a limited liability company which purports to provide legal services in Sri Lanka.

The Supreme Court further held that the Registrar General of Companies had acted in violation of the law of the country when he had incorporated Baqian Law Group as a limited liability company under the Companies Act No. 07 of 2007 as its primary objective was illegal.

In his judgment, Justice Preethi Padman Surasena observed that the decision of the Registrar General of Companies had denied the petitioner the equal protection of the law guaranteed to him by Article 12(1) of the Constitution and his freedom to engage in his lawful profession, guaranteed to him by Article 14(1)(g) of the Constitution.