Giragama Dewa Nileme vs Henaya – clr volume 2 page 042

In the case between The Dewa Nileme and Trustee of the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy and the party claiming under a building lease granted to his deceased father, the court addressed the issue of whether a lease executed by a prior temple trustee was binding on his successor and whether the defendant retained the status of a bona fide tenant or could be treated merely as a trespasser. It was held that the long-term building lease, executed in 1865 and performed over time by payment and collection of rent, constituted a binding contract not subject to subsequent repudiation by successors, thus precluding the plaintiff from ejecting the tenant as a trespasser. The principles reaffirmed included the binding effect of leases entered in the course of recognized trust dealings, evaluated according to