Namunukula Plantation PLC vs Land Reform Commission et al. – CA WRIT: 223/2020-2022

In the case between Namunukula Plantation PLC and the Land Reform Commission (with Sri Lanka Plantations Corporation and others as respondents), the court addressed whether the Petitioner was entitled to writs of certiorari and mandamus to quash land title decisions made by the Land Reform Commission regarding the disputed property, Madurumukalana. It was determined that the writ jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal is not a suitable forum for adjudicating disputes involving complex factual questions, particularly those concerning title or boundaries of land, as such matters require oral evidence and cross-examination, which are outside the procedural limits of writ proceedings. Relying on Sri Lankan, Indian, and UK authorities, the principle reaffirmed is that disputes involving major ques