S.A.F Russain and Other Vs P.H. Colombage, Commissioner of Housing (Western Province) and Others – CA/WRIT/433/17-2025

The court addressed the lawfulness of a demolition order and related compensation pursuant to Section 18A of the Rent Act. The principal legal issues involved the propriety of compensation awarded following a demolition order, the adequacy and fairness of the valuation inquiry, and whether the application could be revised post-termination in light of res judicata and functus officio. The court determined that after an earlier Court of Appeal order had confined the subsequent inquiry to alternative accommodation and valuation issues, and after a limited second inquiry and review of evidence, the matter was conclusively decided. It was established that the doctrines of functus officio and res judicata barred re-adjudication, and the application for reinstatement was dismissed accordingly, re