Harischandra Senarath Rathnayake vs Director General, Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority – CA PHC 165/2017-2022

In the case between Harischandra Senarath Rathnayake (Respondent-Petitioner-Appellant) and the Director General, Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority (Applicant-Respondent-Respondent), the court addressed whether the Provincial High Court has jurisdiction to hear and decide revision applications pertaining to state lands under the Sri Lankan Constitution. It was held that the High Court of Embilipitiya erred in dismissing the appellant’s revision application on the ground of lack of jurisdiction, having misapplied the Supreme Court decision in “The Superintendent, Stafford Estate and Others Vs. Solaimuthu Rasu.” The court clarified that while Provincial High Courts cannot exercise writ jurisdiction in respect of state lands under Article 154P(4), there is no constitutional bar preventing exercise