Singankutti Arachchilage Niroshan Kumara vs Mr. Nishantha Weerasinghe and others – CA WRIT 315/2024-2025

In the matter between Singankutti Arachchilage Niroshan Kumara, Kumara Enterprises, and the Commissioner General of Motor Traffic and the Director General of Customs, the court addressed the issue of the applicable law for vehicle registration concerning vehicles detained for an extended period. The court held that the legal provisions in force at the time of the registration application govern the process, not the provisions in effect at the time of importation. This decision reaffirmed the principle that administrative processes are subject to the laws prevailing at the time of their initiation. The application for writs of Mandamus and Prohibition was dismissed, as the petitioner could not claim a right under an outdated legal provision and could not prevent the respondent from acting u