Weerakkodige Nandani Weerakkody vs Attygalle Vidanelage Upali Jayasekera – 2570/2004-2013

The case between Weerakkodige Nandani Weerakkody (Plaintiff) and Attygalle Vidanelage Upali Jayasekera (Defendant) addressed whether a District Judge erred in granting the cancellation of deed No. 10789—property given as dowry—in a divorce action, and whether a divorce action under Sri Lankan law permits the granting of property relief, specifically forfeiture or cancellation of the dowry deed, as part of a divorce judgment. The findings established that the District Judge was justified in granting both the divorce on the ground of malicious desertion and cancellation of the dowry deed, as forfeiture of matrimonial benefits was an issue directly before the court during the trial. Section 618 of the Civil Procedure Code and the precedent in *Premini Samarasinghe vs Leelaraj Samarasinghe (19