Sirinivasa Thero v. Wimaladhamma Thero – sllr 1985 volume 2 page 040

In the case between Sirinivasa Thero (Plaintiff) and Wimaladhamma Thero (Defendant), the court addressed the validity of an oral nomination/appointment by a Viharadhipathi (priest) for his successor under Buddhist Ecclesiastical Law. It was held that an oral appointment is valid and that there is no statutory or customary requirement mandating the appointment be in writing. This holding reaffirmed the principle that succession to the position of Viharadhipathi may occur through oral or written nominations, consistent with established practice and absence of prohibitive legal authority. The court relied on judicial precedents and scholarly treatises, emphasizing the continuing recognition of oral appointments for succession within the Buddhist monastic context.

G. P. S. De Silva J. — The