Hettiarachchi vs. Mary Matha – sllr 2012 volume 1 page 236

In the case between Hettirachchi (plaintiff, later represented by the widow) and Mary Matha (defendant), the court addressed whether title to the disputed land was extinguished by a title paramount due to State acquisition during the pendency of litigation, and the consequent effect on the court’s jurisdiction to issue a writ of execution for possession. The findings established that the plaintiff’s previously recognized title was superseded by the State’s acquisition of the land corpus pendente lite, nullifying any right to enforce the original decree by writ. The principle reaffirmed maintains that when superior title intervenes while litigation is ongoing, the legal basis for enforcement of a decree is extinguished. Reliance was placed on local and comparative precedents to clarify that