Lakshman Nanayakkara v. Land Reform Commission & The Chairman – CA WRT/0444/2020-2023

In the case between Lakshman Nanayakkara and the Land Reform Commission, the court addressed the entitlement to writs of mandamus and prohibition concerning the issuance of a deed of exchange for land under the Land Reform Commission Act. The applicant challenged the lawfulness of administrative refusal to issue the deed, contending that previous agreements mandated such issuance, while the respondents opposed, citing the land’s prior alienation to a third party, the Vocational Training Authority of Sri Lanka (VTASL). The court reviewed the procedural propriety and legality of permitting third-party intervention in writ proceedings, evaluating conflicting case law and constitutional provisions. It was held that intervention by third parties in the writ application was not warranted, reaffi