Hagalan Mudiyanselage Chandana Bandara Kahawatta vs. Resident Project Manager, Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka and others – 490/2015-2022

In the case between Hagalan Mudiyanselage Chandana Bandara Kahawatta (Petitioner) and the Resident Project Manager, Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka, and others (Respondents), the court addressed whether a writ of mandamus could compel the issuance of a permit to cultivate land under the Land Development Ordinance. The court found that the petitioner’s legitimate expectation, stemming from long-term occupation, selection during the 1993 inquiry, and documented recommendation, was unlawfully disregarded when a permit was instead issued to a competing party. It was determined that administrative delays and subsequent actions of the respondents were unfair, unreasonable, and malicious, warranting judicial intervention. The court reaffirmed the principle that state authorities are required to a