Ariyaratne v. Premadasa – sllr 2006 volume 3 page 161

In Ariyaratne (plaintiff-respondent) vs. Premadasa (defendant-petitioner), the court addressed whether the District Court of Mt. Lavinia possessed jurisdiction to hear a dispute regarding property allegedly located outside its territorial bounds. The court determined that, on the documentary evidence presented, the property was situated within the jurisdiction of Colombo rather than Mt. Lavinia, and therefore the District Court of Mt. Lavinia lacked jurisdiction. The legal reasoning reaffirmed the principle that objections to jurisdiction, supported by sufficient documentary proof, must be considered at the earliest stage, and such objections do not require additional burdens of proof once established by clear evidence. Reliance was placed on the certificate (A7) and the Gazette notificati