D. S. Fernando v. Hon. Laxman Kiriella and Others – SC F.R. APPLICATION NO: 360/2016-2023

In the case between D. S. Fernando (Plaintiff) and several government officials and agencies including former ministers such as Hon. Laxman Kiriella, Hon. Johnston Fernando, and Hon. Bandula Gunawardane (Defendants), the court addressed the calculation of compensation for State acquisition of land under the Land Acquisition Act in the context of a road widening project. The central issue concerned whether compensation should be recalculated by treating two distinct acquisitions, conducted on different dates, as if they had occurred simultaneously, in order to secure fair market value for the land. It was determined that statutory procedure required compensation to be calculated based on the respective dates of acquisition notice under the Act. The claims of constitutional infringement unde