Lorensuhewage Sheelawathie vs Mawanana Hewa Kapila Lalantha De Silva – CA PHC 58/2017-2022

In the case between Lorensuhewage Sheelawathie alias Lorensuhewage Sheela (Petitioner) and Mawanana Hewa Kapila Lalantha De Silva (Respondent), with intervenient respondents M H Mallika De Silva and M.H. Wimala De Silva, the court addressed the issue of possession and the right of access concerning a disputed portion of pawning shop premises. It was held that the dispute centered on access rather than actual possession, affirming that the High Court’s decision under Section 69 of the Primary Courts’ Procedure Act correctly resolved the matter. The principle reaffirmed was that mere physical enclosure or padlocking does not amount to dispossession when the area in question serves as a common access corridor. Reliance was placed on relevant statutes and legal precedents, including interpreta