Gnanawathie Edirisinghe v. Ministry of Lands and Lands Development et al. – 500/2008-2010

In Gnanawathie Edirisinghe v. Ministry of Lands and Lands Development, the court addressed whether acquisition of a portion of the Petitioner’s land under the Land Acquisition Act for an access road to a government housing scheme constituted a valid public purpose, whether such acquisition was arbitrary or in breach of public trust, and whether the Petitioner was entitled to writs of certiorari and prohibition. It was held that acquisition for a roadway to facilitate access to housing for resettled flood-affected families was a valid public purpose, and that the Petitioner’s objections on the basis of use, harm to rubber cultivation, and absence of urgency were unsubstantiated. The principle reaffirmed was that Ministerial satisfaction regarding public purpose under the Land Acquisition Ac