G. B. Jayaratne vs Acquiring Officer – CA LAQ/BR/01A/2004-2013

In the case between G.B. Jayaratne (Appellant) and the Acquiring Officer, Divisional Secretariat, Colombo 12 (Respondent), the court addressed the issue of the appropriate method for determining compensation under the Land Acquisition Act for the compulsory acquisition of tenanted premises. It was held that compensation should be computed using the “Contractor’s Method” as applied by the majority of the Land Acquisition Board of Review, rather than the “Comparable Method” advocated by the appellant or the “Investment Method” proposed in alternative argumentation. The findings established that the property in question, predominantly tenanted at the time of acquisition, did not warrant valuation as unencumbered, and that tenancy constituted a legally recognized interest impacting market valu