Rathnayaka v Sarath, Divisional Secretary, Thihagoda and Others – sllr 2004 volume 3 page 095

In the case between Rathnayaka (Plaintiff) and Sarath, Divisional Secretary, Thihagoda, and others (Defendants), the court examined the validity of a land acquisition conducted under the Land Acquisition Act and whether due process and lawfulness were observed in acquiring the petitioner’s land. It was held that the acquisition was procedurally flawed and the orders made under the statute were unreasonable, arbitrary, and capricious, resulting in the quashing of impugned orders and the grant of certiorari and mandamus. The principle reaffirmed is that lawful acquisition procedures must demonstrate substantive fairness and genuine consideration, as established through precedents including Dissanayake v Fernando, and statutory requirements must be strictly followed to prevent unjust deprivat