Dr. Lindamulage Tiraj Niroshan Silva vs. Municipal Council of Moratuwa and Others – CA WRIT 0437/2020-2023

In the case between Dr. Lindamulage Tiraj Niroshan Silva (Petitioner) and the Municipal Council of Moratuwa and others (Respondents), the court addressed whether interim relief in the form of writs of Certiorari, Prohibition, and Mandamus should be granted when the petitioner had previously sought an alternative remedy in the District Court. It was held that the application for additional interim relief was not maintainable due to the existence and pursuit of an adequate alternative remedy, reaffirming the principle that writ jurisdiction is discretionary and should not be invoked when alternative remedies exist. Reliance was placed on established legal precedents such as Linus Silva v. The University Council of Vidyodaya University and Jayaweera v. Assistant Commissioner, emphasizing that