Galhena Kankanamge Rohitha Sumanasena v. Hon. Attorney General and Abeynanda Dias – CA PHC/173/2006-2017

The case between Galhena Kankanamge Rohitha Sumanasena (Appellant) and the Hon. Attorney General, with Abeynanda Dias, Director, Plantations Monitoring Division, Ministry of Plantations (Respondents), addressed the validity of an eviction order made under the State Lands (Recovery of Possession) Act. The court held that an occupant evicted by the Magistrate’s Court, having failed to establish due authority or a permit for state land occupation, could not succeed in review proceedings when procedural requirements—specifically, filing certified copies—were not met, and no substantive challenge was advanced on appeal. This decision reaffirmed the principle that strict compliance with statutory requirements and procedural obligations is essential in actions concerning state land recovery. The