Certiorari cannot correct mere merits errors where a tribunal acts within jurisdiction and follows lawful procedure.

Certiorari cannot be used to correct a competent tribunal's decision merely because it is thought to be wrong on the merits. Where the Labour Commissioner acted within the jurisdiction conferred by section 51, and the parties had invoked that jurisdiction, an erroneous conclusion alone did not justify supervisory interference. No jurisdictional failure, error apparent on the face of the record, procedural irregularity, or breach of natural justice was shown. The High Court, by reappraising the merits and quashing the Commissioner's decision, exceeded the proper scope of certiorari; the quashing order was therefore unsustainable.

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Issues: Whether a writ of certiorari could be issued to quash the Labour Commissioner's decision under section 51 on the ground that, though made within jurisdiction, it was erroneous on the merits.

Analysis: The Labour Commissioner was the authority empowered to decide the questions referred under section 51, and the parties themselves had invoked that jurisdiction. The decision may have been correct or erroneous, but an error within jurisdiction does not justify certiorari. No failure to decide a matter, no error apparent on the face of the record, and no procedural irregularity or breach of natural justice was shown. The High Court, in substance, had exercised appellate power by correcting the Commissioner's conclusion, which was beyond the proper scope of certiorari.

Conclusion: Certiorari did not lie, and the High Court's order quashing the Commissioner's decision was unsustainable.

Final Conclusion: The decision reaffirms that a superior court cannot use certiorari to correct an inferior tribunal's decision merely because it considers the decision wrong, where the tribunal acted within its jurisdiction and followed lawful procedure.

Ratio Decidendi: Certiorari is available only for jurisdictional error, manifest procedural illegality, or an error apparent on the face of the record, and not to correct an erroneous decision made by a competent tribunal within the scope of its statutory authority.

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