Anada Sarath Liyanage vs Director General of Forest Conservation – CA PHC 104/2007-2016

In the case between Anada Sarath Liyanage and the Director General of Forest Conservation, Department of Forest Conservation, the court addressed whether an appeal should be relisted after it was rejected due to nonpayment of brief fees stemming from the petitioner’s failure to receive proper notice as a result of an insufficient address. The court held that the absence of notice constituted a reasonable ground for the nonpayment, thereby permitting the reinstatement of the appeal. Reliance was placed on existing precedent (Jinadasa v. Sam Silva, [1994] 1 Sri L R 232), with the court reaffirming that failure to comply with procedural requirements may be excused upon demonstration of sufficient cause. The case underscores that parties may be granted relief from procedural default when lack