Ranabahuge Chithrasiri and Udakanda Kankanamalage Karunarathna vs. National Gem and Jewellery Authority et al. – CA 38/2016/WRIT-2016

In the case between Ranabahuge Chithrasiri and Udakanda Kankanamalage Karunarathna (Petitioners) and the National Gem and Jewellery Authority and others (Respondents), the court addressed the validity of the Authority’s decision to grant a Gem Mining Licence to the 6th Respondent amid disputes over land ownership and compliance with statutory requirements. It was held that the granting of the licence was unlawful due to the Authority’s reliance on pedigree evidence from an unrelated partition case and failure to establish two-thirds ownership or proper consent as required by relevant by-laws. The principle reaffirmed is that administrative authorities must establish clear statutory compliance—specifically, ownership or consent—before exercising licensing powers, and that public interest ob