Otta Pahuwe Priyaratna Thero vs H.W.Jayaratne – 567/99 F -2015

In the case between Otta Pahuwe Priyaratna Thero (Rajamaha Viharaya, Ambanpola) and H.W. Jayaratne, Kadawatha Janatha Santhaka Pravahana Sevaya, and subsequently Gampaha Bus Company Limited/Sri Lanka Transport Board, the issue concerned the validity of an ex-parte judgment where required notice and summons were not served following statutory amalgamation of the defendant entity. It was held that the absence of proper notice and the failure to observe due procedure in substituting parties rendered the ex-parte judgment void, reaffirming the principle that proper service and fair opportunity to be heard are foundational to civil proceedings. The decision relied on statutory civil procedure, notably Section 187 of the Civil Procedure Code, and relevant Sri Lankan precedents, underscoring that