Hemamal Abeysinghe Vs. Seetha Udumalagala Perera and others – CA WRIT NO: 542/2010-2010

The case between Hemamal Abeysinghe (for the applicant) and Seetha Udumalagala Perera (with ten others as respondents) addressed the issue of whether the Rent Board retained jurisdiction to entertain an application for a declaration of tenancy and determination of monthly rent under the Rent Act, considering statutory exemption provisions. It was held that, absent concrete evidence establishing the premises as exempt under Section 2(4)(c) of the Rent Act (as amended by Act No. 55 of 1980), jurisdiction was properly vested in the Rent Board. This determination reaffirmed the principle that statutory authority must be expressly limited by clear evidence of exemption. The decision relied on an interpretation of the relevant statutory sections, emphasizing that jurisdictional questions must be