Nalini Ellegala v. Poddalagoda and Others – sllr 1999 volume 1 page 046

In the case between Nalini Ellegala (landlord/appellant) and Poddalagoda and Others (tenant/respondent and associated bodies), the court addressed whether the disputed premises qualified as “excepted” premises under section 2(4)(c) of the Rent Act, the adequacy of the Rent Board’s evaluation of evidence, and the finality of the Board of Review’s decision under section 40(11) of the Rent Act. It was held that the Rent Board’s error in the evaluation of evidence constituted a question of law, thus affirming the Board of Review’s decision and upholding its finality pursuant to statutory provisions. The principle reaffirmed was that a defective evaluation of evidence by the Rent Board is a matter of law and, in the absence of statutory grounds, the Board of Review’s determination is conclusive