Poddihiwala Marage Padmalatrha vs. Wille Gamage and Others – CA WRIT 301/2020-2022

In the case between Poddihiwala Marage Padmalatrha (Plaintiff/Petitioner) and Wille Gamage (Governor of the Southern Provincial Council) and others (Defendants/Respondents), the court addressed the entitlement of the Petitioner to writs of certiorari and mandamus concerning succession to State land under the Land Development Ordinance. It was determined that the Petitioner, as a daughter-in-law and not a relative by blood, did not have locus standi or a legal right under the Ordinance to claim succession or to compel a new inquiry. The findings established that the Committee’s allocation of land shares to other respondents, including the Petitioner’s son, did not contravene the law or principles of natural justice. Reference was made to the succession framework embedded in the Land Develop