Munasinghege Don Eranga Indrajith vs George Steuart Finance Limited – CHC/18/2013/MR-2014

In Munasinghege Don Eranga Indrajith v. George Steuart Finance Limited, the Supreme Court addressed the question of whether a High Court’s dismissal order, based on an arbitration clause in a lease agreement, constituted a final judgment or an interlocutory order, and the maintainability of a leave to appeal application in such circumstances. The court held that the High Court’s dismissal, grounded in the mandatory arbitration provision, was properly characterized given the operative lease agreement and statutory authority. The decision established that the failure to refer the dispute to arbitration as required by the agreement and Arbitration Act justified the refusal to grant leave to appeal. Reliance was placed on authorities such as Siriwardena v. Air Ceylon Ltd. and Ranjith v. Kusuma