Rajapaksage Dharmasiri Ranasinghe vs Commissioner General of Lands et al – C A WRIT APPLICATION NO. 136/2013-2013

In the case between Rajapaksage Dharmasiri Ranasinghe (Petitioner) and the Commissioner General of Lands, Divisional Secretary, Nuwaragam Palatha Central, Provincial Land Commissioner, North Central Province, Rajapaksage Dushantha Anuradha Karunarathne, and Hon. Attorney General (Respondents), the court addressed the lawfulness of the cancellation of a land development permit under Section 19(2) of the Land Development Ordinance. The central issue concerned whether mandatory procedural requirements under Sections 106 and 110, and the principles of natural justice—particularly the right to be heard on inquiry and on appeal—were satisfied prior to the permit’s cancellation and during the subsequent appeal process. It was held that both the initial cancellation and appellate decision were ren