Ramasinge Kurunaagala Pathiranage Damayanthi v. Urban Development Authority and others – CA WRIT/74/2016-2022

In the case between Ramasinge Kurunaagala Pathiranage Damayanthi (the Petitioner) and the Urban Development Authority, its officials, the Municipal Council of Matara, and related private parties, the court addressed the legality of approvals granted for construction on a disputed property. The key issue concerned whether the contested construction constituted a new building carried out under the guise of renovation or amendment, thereby circumventing mandatory requirements under the UDA Development and Building Regulations. The court held that the approvals granted violated regulatory provisions regarding building lines, street lines, rear space, and minimum land area, and that these breaches rendered the approval process ultra vires and unlawful. This determination reaffirmed the principl