Ven Hatharaliyadde Narada vs Mr. Akila Viraj Kariyawasam et al. – 395/2014-2011

The case between Ven Hatharaliyadde Narada, Principal and Chief Incumbent, Sri Widyawardana Piriwena, Karadagolla, Abakotte, and Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Hon. Minister of Education, alongside other officials and bodies, addressed the issue of whether procedural non-compliance with Supreme Court Rule 3(1)(a), regarding the certification of documents annexed to a petition, bars the maintenance of an application seeking writs of certiorari and mandamus. The holding determined that strict compliance with procedural rules is mandatory; failure to certify documents as true copies, without seeking leave to remedy, constitutes a fatal defect mandating dismissal. This principle was reaffirmed through reliance on prior judicial precedent and Supreme Court rules, underscoring that procedural defects