Thajudeen v. Sri Lanka Tea Board and Another – sllr 1981 volume 2 page 471

In the case between Thajudeen (registered manufacturer at Amugala Tea Factory) and the Sri Lanka Tea Board (with another public entity), the court addressed whether a writ of mandamus could be granted concerning the payment of a subsidy under a Guaranteed Minimum Price Scheme for Green Tea Leaf when underlying facts were in significant dispute. It was held that mandamus, as a discretionary and extraordinary remedy, should not be issued where key factual matters—such as records of tea leaf purchases and factory production—are contested, and where a regular suit provides an available alternative remedy. The principle reaffirmed that mandamus is not appropriate when the resolution of the dispute turns on contentious issues of fact best suited for trial proceedings. This reliance on establishe