Wijesinghe v. Nadarajah E – sllr 1984 volume 1 page 033

Brief
The case between Wijesinghe (plaintiff/respondent) and Nadarajah Eswaran and wife and another (defendants/petitioners) addressed whether a consent judgment for ejectment was rendered a nullity due to non-compliance with mandatory statutory requirements under the Rent Act, particularly sections 22(1)(bb), 22(1A), and 22(1C). It was held that compliance with these provisions—specifically averments concerning the landlord’s ownership of only one residential premises and notice to the Commissioner of National Housing—is essential to establish a valid cause of action. The court set aside the consent judgment for failure to comply with these requirements and remitted the matter for trial de novo, reaffirming the principle that strict statutory compliance is obligatory and cannot be waived