Pannaloka Thero v. Saranankara Thero – sllr 1983 volume 2 page 523

In the case between the Plaintiff‑Appellant, claiming lawful Viharadhipathi status of ‘Wijayawardana Aramaya,’ and the Defendant‑Respondent, asserting incumbency based on an alleged nomination and seniority, the primary dispute focused on succession rights to temple leadership. The central legal issues concerned the validity of rival claims to incumbency—one founded on an alleged written nomination (document D2) and the other on seniority by ordination—as well as the applicability of res judicata and the statutory bar under section 406(2) of the Civil Procedure Code to such claims. It was held that the causes of action in the property rights litigation and the present succession dispute were distinct, and res judicata did not bar the plaintiff’s claim. However, it was established that the