Mendis v. Jayaratne, Minister of Agriculture, Lands and Forestry – sllr 1997 volume 2 page 215

In the case between Mendis (petitioner) and Jayaratne, Minister of Agriculture, Lands and Forestry (respondent), the court addressed the issue of whether the acquisition and subsequent compensation and divestment of land under the Land Acquisition Act were lawful and justified. The court held that the petitioner had failed to substantiate claims regarding improper acquisition, misuse for purposes other than the public purpose stated, and ineligibility for further compensation or extraordinary relief, such as a mandamus or a piece-meal divesting order. The findings reaffirmed the principle that ministerial discretion in determining public purpose and the timeliness of legal challenges are fundamental under the Land Acquisition Act. Precedents including Hopman v. Minister of Lands and Ratnay