Ammawasi Krishnan v. J M Chandrika Priyadarshani – C A PHC/31/2014-2017

In the case between Ammawasi Krishnan (Appellant) and J M Chandrika Priyadarshani, Plantation Monitoring Officer, Ministry of Plantation Industries (Respondent), the court addressed the issue of whether the Provincial High Court possesses jurisdiction, under Article 154P(3)(b) of the Constitution, to entertain a revision application against an order issued by a Magistrate’s Court under Section 5 of the State Lands (Recovery of Possession) Act. It was held that such revisionary jurisdiction is distinct from writ jurisdiction provided by Article 154P(4)(b), and the precedent in *Solaimuththu Rasu v Superintendent Stafford Estate and others*—which restricts writ jurisdiction—does not apply to revisionary matters. This decision relied on statutory interpretation of constitutional provisions an