A Landmark Ruling for the Buddhist world: Supreme Court of Sri Lanka Recognises Bhikkhuni Identity

In an era when constitutional justice is often contested in the glare of the media, one of the most significant rulings in Sri Lanka's legal and religious history, was delivered almost unnoticed - yet its implications could echo globally.

- BY DON DE SILVA

On 16 June 2025, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka delivered a majority ruling in SC/FR/218/2013, affirming the fundamental rights of a Buddhist nun to be identified as “Bhikkhuni” on her National Identity Card (NIC), thereby recognizing the de facto existence of the Bhikkhuni Sangha in Sri Lanka.

The case had quietly journeyed through the judicial corridors since it was first filed on 31 May 2013, argued before the bench on 24 October 2024, and culminated in a judgment that both restores dignity and acknowledges history. No protest marches, no press conferences, no talk-show panels. And yet, in its silence, the judgment affirms something extraordinary: the legal, historical, and constitutional validity of the Bhikkhuni Sangha in modern Sri Lanka.

Petitioners and Legal Team

The first petitioner in the case was Venerable Welimada Dhammadinna Bhikkhuni, representing thousands of fully ordained Buddhist nuns who have lived in the shadows of official recognition for decades. The second petitioner was Venerable Inamaluwe Sri Sumangala Thero, the Mahanayaka of the Rangiri Dambulla Chapter of the Siyam Nik ya—who has, since 1998, presided over the reestablishment of the Bhikkhuni ordination within his chapter.

Their petition was entrusted to the skill and dedication of a distinguished legal team: President's Counsel Navin Marapana, with Nandapala Wickramasooriya, Tharanatha Palliyaguruge, and Uchitha Wickramasinghe, instructed by, Ms Eashanie Palliyaguruge.

The Case: For and Against