Rathugamage Ancy Fernando vs Ranasinghe Mudiyanselage Susantha Ranasinghe – SC/APPEAL/31/2018-2024

The case between Ranasinghe Mudiyanselage Susantha Ranasinghe (Plaintiff) and Rathugamage Ancy Fernando (Defendant) addressed the issue of entitlement to permanent alimony following divorce and the criteria for its determination under section 615 of the Civil Procedure Code. The court held that permanent alimony was not payable to the defendant due to a lack of evidence regarding the plaintiff’s financial status and taking into account the defendant’s comparatively better economic position. The principle reaffirmed is that the award of alimony lies within the court’s discretion, guided but not limited by statutory and common law criteria, with emphasis placed on the specific financial circumstances of the parties. This decision relied on the current wording of section 615, previous interpr