Bowhill Hydro Power (Pvt) Ltd vs Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority et al. – CA WRIT/29/2022-2022

In the case between Bowhill Hydro Power (Pvt) Ltd and Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority & Others, the court addressed the entitlement of the Petitioner to interim writs, particularly restraining new private owners from interfering with the operation of a mini-hydropower project, and compelling authorities to act under the Sustainable Energy Authority Act and Land Acquisition Act. It was held that interim orders cannot be issued against parties where no substantive relief is sought and that interim relief is dependent on the existence of a substantive claim. The principle reaffirmed is that interim remedies are ancillary and cannot be granted in isolation from underlying substantive claims, as endorsed by relevant case law. The decision relied upon statutory interpretation and persuasi