Kotagala Plantations Limited vs. Land Reform Commission – SC APPEAL NO. 61/2008-2023

In the case between Kotagala Plantations Limited and a group of state officials and bodies including the Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs and Plantation Industries, the Land Reform Commission, and the State Plantations Corporation, the court addressed the lawfulness of the Minister’s Revocation Order (P10), which revoked the vesting of a portion of the Vogan Estate land in the State Plantations Corporation. It was determined that the Revocation Order lacked valid reasoning, was carried out without affording the Petitioner an opportunity to be heard, and failed to comply with the principles of natural justice. Statutory provisions governing land reform and established precedents regarding due process and administrative power were relied upon. The decision emphasized that the