Dinusha Mohanthi Wijethunga vs Sunanda Kariyapperuma The Commissioner General of Buddhist Affairs – CA/WRIT/356/20-2025

The court addressed the legal validity of registering private property as a Buddhist temple contrary to the clear intent of the petitioner not to donate the property for religious purposes. The central legal issues concerned the extent of statutory authority for such registration under the Buddhist Temporalities Act, and whether the resulting registration certificate was ultra vires. Consideration was also given to the defense of laches, which was rejected upon satisfactory explanation of delay by the petitioner. The court held that the registration, carried out under questionable authority and based on disputed documentation, was without lawful basis. A writ of certiorari was issued, quashing the registration certificate. This decision reaffirmed the principle that administrative actions