De Silva and Others v. Seneviratne and Another – sllr 1981 volume 2 page 007

In the case between Mawathage J. Seneviratne (Plaintiff/Petitioner) and the widow and minor children of the deceased (Defendants/Appellants), the court addressed the issue of the validity of a contested Last Will executed by the deceased. It was held that the will was validly executed and that evidence dispelled suspicions concerning its authenticity and the circumstances of its execution. The principle reaffirmed requires that appellate courts exercise restraint in reviewing trial court findings on the credibility of witnesses, unless it is shown that the trial judge misapplied this advantage. Reliance was placed on established case law and principles governing appellate review in probate matters, emphasizing the probative value accorded to first-instance judicial observations. The decisi