Mudaliperuge Manel Rupa Ranjani Kulathunga vs M. U. Nishantha and others – 0475/2019-2022

In the case between Mrs. Mudaliperuge Manel Rupa Ranjani Kulathunga (Petitioner) and, among others, M. U. Nishantha (Divisional Secretary, Galewela) and Ajantha Wickremarathne (Provincial Land Commissioner, Central Province) (Respondents), the court addressed the entitlement of the Petitioner to a writ of mandamus compelling state authorities to implement a 2005 decision (P-7) regarding the allocation of a disputed land, and the right to a stay order preventing change to the land’s ownership or status pending determination of the main action. It was held that following the cancellation of the original permit (P-1), the Petitioner no longer had legal rights to the land, which had reverted to State ownership, and thus was not entitled to the relief sought. The principle reaffirmed is that in