Halwan and Others v. Kaleelul Rahuman – sllr 2000 volume 3 page 050

In HALWAN AND OTHERS v. KALEELUL RAHUMAN, the court addressed the issue of the proper statutory process for the appointment and confirmation of trustees under the Muslim Mosque and Charitable Trusts or Wakfs Act. The matter concerned the petitioners, Halwan and others, who contested orders of the Wakfs Board and Tribunal denying their confirmation as trustees of the Ulahitiwela Jumma Mosque, while the respondents asserted adherence to traditional appointment practices. The holding established that the availability of a statutory right of appeal under the Act precludes the use of judicial review remedies when such alternative remedies have not been exhausted. The principle that statutory procedures and appellate rights must first be pursued was reaffirmed, with reliance on sections 9D, 9G,