Rajasinghege Sarath Samaraweera and others vs R.D. Rathna and others – CA NO 385/1996 F-2013

In the case between Rajasinghege Sarath Samaraweera alias Kammale Watte Gedara Andirisa and others (Plaintiffs) and R.D. Rathna and others (Defendants/Appellants), the court addressed the issue of entitlement to declaration of title and recovery of possession of a specific land. It was determined that the Plaintiffs’ title, based on deeds executed in 1942, was sufficiently proved, while the Defendants/Appellants failed to establish prescriptive title through long possession. This decision reaffirmed the principle that clear documentary evidence of title outweighs unsubstantiated claims of prescription, relying on statutory requirements and legal precedents governing proof of title and prescriptive rights. The judgment emphasized that uncontradicted and admissible documentary evidence must