Siman Perera Dharmagunawardane vs Don John Goonewardane – clr volume 2 page 105

In the matter of Siman Perera Dharmagunawardane (applicant) and Don John Goonewardane and Don Carolis, concerning the estate of Lansegey Andris Perera Dharmagunawardane, deceased, the court addressed whether Chapter LV. of the Civil Procedure Code, which prescribes the judicial settlement of an administrator’s account, applies retrospectively to estates of persons who died before the Code’s commencement. It was held that the statutory provisions governing such judicial settlements are not retrospective and apply only to estates of those who died after the Code came into effect. This interpretation reaffirmed the principle that procedural remedies introduced by new legislation do not extend to prior events unless expressly stated. The decision relied on statutory construction of the Civil P