Vannakar and 6 Others V Urhumalebbe – sllr 1996 volume 2 page 073

In the case of Vannakar and Others v. Urhumalebbe, the court addressed whether belated, self-serving affidavits can be accepted to contradict or vary the court record in the context of purging default, particularly where the parties failed to take appropriate steps before the Court of first instance. It was determined that such affidavits are inadmissible if the relevant procedural requirements are not satisfied. The findings established that the doctrine of Estoppel by Record, as articulated in prior Supreme Court decisions, precludes the reopening of matters already conclusively adjudicated when parties fail to act promptly. Reliance was placed on authorities including King v. Jayawardena and Gunawardena v. Kelaart, emphasizing that the integrity of court records and prior judgments cann