Dassanayake v. Sampath Bank Ltd. – sllr 2002 volume 3 page 268

In the case between Dassanayake and Sampath Bank Ltd., the court addressed whether a party dissatisfied with an order under the Recovery of Loans by Banks (Special Provisions) Act, No. 4 of 1990, could seek leave to appeal. It was held that the Act confers only a special and limited jurisdiction upon the District Court and does not provide for an implied statutory right of appeal; such a right must be expressly stated within the statute. The application for leave to appeal was dismissed on the basis that no such right existed under the Act, reaffirming the principle that appeal rights must have clear legislative foundation. This decision relied on authorities such as Sangarapillai v. Municipal Council of Colombo and Vanderpoorten v. The Settlement Officer, emphasizing the strict statutory