P. B. Ratnayake v. M. S. B. J. Bandara – sllr 1990 volume 1 page 156

Brief
In the case between P. B. Ratnayake and M. S. B. J. Bandara, the Supreme Court considered whether a Kandyan deed of gift (specifically deed P1 executed on June 11, 1960) was revocable or irrevocable under the Kandyan Law Declaration and Amendment Ordinance. The issue involved determining whether the deed’s language—describing the gift as “absolute and irrevocable”—constitutes an “express renunciation” of the right to revoke, as required by section 5(1)(d) of the Ordinance. Central to the proceedings was the applicability and interpretation of prior Privy Council authority and determining if the Supreme Court was bound by that approach. The Court’s holding clarified that where a deed meets the statutory criteria for express renunciation, the donor cannot subsequently revoke the gift,