Mahindapala and Others vs. Minister of Lands and Land Development and Others – sllr 2009 volume 2 page 324

In the case between Mahindapala and Others (petitioners) and the Minister of Lands and Land Development and Others (respondents), the court addressed whether land acquisition under the Land Acquisition Act was conducted following the required procedures, particularly with regard to notice and the existence of urgency. The court held that the acquisition process was not urgent and that statutory procedural safeguards, including fair hearing and natural justice, were not observed, thereby invalidating the vesting order and acquisition actions. The decision reaffirmed the principle that procedural requirements must be strictly observed in the absence of demonstrated urgency, emphasizing fair hearing rights under the Land Acquisition Act and established case law.

D. S. C. Lecamwasam J. — The