Batuwanage Siripala vs RA Jayatilleke – SC APPEAL 15/2010-2010

In the case between Batuwanage Siripala (Plaintiff‑Appellant, with substituted parties) and RA Jayatilleke (Defendant‑Respondent, deceased, represented by substituted parties including RA Shirley Anura), the Supreme Court addressed the issue of entitlement to a declaration of title to a disputed land parcel and whether prescriptive rights had been acquired by the Defendant‑Respondent. It was held that the Plaintiff‑Appellant had established legal title through valid conveyances and supporting evidence, while the Defendant‑Respondent failed to satisfy the strict requirements for prescriptive possession, namely clear demonstration of uninterrupted, undisturbed, and adverse possession for the prescribed period. The judgment reaffirmed the principle that the burden in a title declaration actio