The Superintendent, Stafford Estate and two others Vs. Solaimuthu Rasu – C A PHC/179/2014-2013

In the case between the Chairman, National Livestock Development Board and others (Respondent-Appellants) and Bohingamuwa Mudiyanselage Jayasena (Petitioner-Respondent), the court addressed the issue of whether the Provincial High Court of Central Province, under Article 154 P(4)(b) of the Constitution, possessed jurisdiction to issue a writ of certiorari quashing a quit notice issued under the State Lands (Recovery of Possession) Act. It was held that the Provincial High Court lacked such jurisdiction, reaffirming the principle that matters concerning the recovery or dispossession of state lands, being excluded from the Provincial Council List (List 1), fall outside Provincial High Court authority. Reliance was placed on the Supreme Court precedent “Superintendent, Stafford Estate v. Sola