Hewamallika v. Soma Munasinghe – sllr 1982 volume 1 page 339

In the case between the plaintiff, the son of Janderis Kodithuwakku Hewamallika (donee of the premises), and the defendant, the widow of H.B. Wilson (the deceased statutory tenant), the court addressed whether a statutory tenant’s spouse may continue occupation under Section 18 of the Rent Restriction Act following the death of the tenant and termination of the contractual lease. It was held that statutory tenancy protection extended to the defendant by operation of Section 18(2), rendering a vindicatory suit inappropriate, and thus disallowing the plaintiff’s recovery of possession. The legal principle reaffirmed was that statutory tenant protections persist post termination of the original contract where occupancy continues by operation of law, with the decision principally relying on th