Senaratne Mudiyanselage Subaneris Appuhamy alias Subaneris Senaratne vs Danee Kadinappuli Piyasiri Manawasinghe – SC/APPEAL/95/2021-2025

In the case between multiple plaintiffs (respondents) including, among others, the representatives of the original title claimants, and the defendant-appellant (the substituted defendant in place of Subaneris), the court addressed the issue of whether long, uninterrupted, and overt possession—evidenced by acts such as construction on the land, leasing, and execution of various deeds—established prescriptive title to the disputed property. It was held that continuous and exclusive possession by the 1st defendant, supported by demonstrable overt acts, constituted sufficient evidence of prescriptive title, thereby overriding the documentary evidence previously relied upon to establish the plaintiffs’ claims. The principle reaffirmed is that prescriptive title may be acquired through long, exc