Dorape Vithanage Nihal Amaranayake vs. Jebaraj Krishnamoorthy – CA WRIT APPLICATION NO:175/2019-2021

In the case between Dorape Vithanage Nihal Amaranayake (Petitioner) and Jebaraj Krishnamoorthy, Food Commissioner, Food Commissioner’s Department (Respondent), the court addressed the validity of a quit notice issued under the Government Quarters (Recovery of Possession) Act No. 7 of 1969 and the Petitioner’s entitlement to a Writ of Certiorari. It was held that the premises constituted “Government Quarters” under the Act and that disputes arising from the lease were fundamentally contractual in nature, precluding the grant of writ remedies. The holding reaffirmed that statutory remedies rather than prerogative writs are appropriate where the relationship arises out of contract, relying on established case law and the statutory framework of the Act. Significantly, it was determined that ex