Abusali Jeyilabdin Manafkan v. Divisional Secretary – CA PHC APN/120/2016-2017

In the case between Abusali Jeyilabdin Manafkan and the Divisional Secretary, Divisional Secretariat Office, Harispaththuwa, the court addressed the issue of whether the Petitioner was unlawfully evicted from state land under the State Lands (Recovery of Possession) Act due to an alleged improper service of the quit notice. It was held that the Petitioner’s challenge was without merit, as procedural objections regarding service of notice were not raised in the Magistrate’s Court and no prejudice was established. The judgment reaffirmed the principle that factual and procedural disputes must be raised at the earliest stage of proceedings, with reliance placed on the precedent set in Gunarathne v. Abeysinghe. The decision underlined that the primary purpose of a quit notice is to afford reas