Since the induced objects on a lightlike submanifold depend on its screen distribution which, in general, is not unique and hence we can not use the classical submanifold theory on a lightlike submanifold in the usual way. Therefore, in present paper, we study screen conformal lightlike submanifolds of a semi-Riemannian manifold, which are essential for the existence of unique screen distribution. We obtain a characterization theorem for the existence of screen conformal lightlike submanifolds of a semi-Riemannian manifold. We prove that if the differential operator Ds is a metric Otsuki connection on transversal lightlike bundle for a screen conformal lightlike submanifold then semi-Riemannian manifold is a semi-Euclidean space. We also obtain some characterization theorems for a screen conformal totally umbilical lightlike submanifold of a semi-Riemannian space form. Further, we obtain a necessary and sufficient condition for a screen conformal lightlike submanifold of constant curvature to be a semi-Euclidean space. Finally, we prove that for an irrotational screen conformal lightlike submanifold of a semi-Riemannian space form, the induced Ricci tensor is symmetric and the null sectional curvature vanishes.