National Housing Development Authority v. D. Premarathne de Silva – CA PHC/193/06-2017

In the case between the Chairman, National Housing Development Authority (Party A) and Dewanaththi Premarathna de Silva (Party B), the court addressed whether the respondent was entitled to remain in occupation of certain State land under the State Land (Recovery of Possession) Act. It was determined that long-term occupation without a permit or written authority does not confer a right to remain in possession or establish prescriptive rights against the State. The holding reaffirmed that the Competent Authority’s opinion on State land is conclusive for the purposes of ejectment proceedings under the Act, and such designation cannot be challenged in the Magistrate’s Court or on appeal. This conclusion relied on the State Land (Recovery of Possession) Act and established precedents includin