Udagepolage Gunasiri Seneviratne vs Pattiya Widanage Carmen Premalatha – SC APPEAL 211/2012-2016

In the case between Udagepolage Gunasiri Seneviratne and Pattiya Widanage Carmen Premalatha, the court addressed the validity of a marriage in the context of allegations that the Respondent had previously contracted marriages which were not lawfully dissolved. The court determined that a marriage is void ab initio if entered into without lawful dissolution of a preceding marriage, emphasizing the requirement of compliance with Section 18 of the Marriages (General) Ordinance No. 19 of 1907 (as amended) and Section 607 of the Civil Procedure Code for a valid marriage. The findings established that misrepresentation of marital status and entering into a further marriage without legal termination of the prior marriage rendered the subsequent marriage null and void. The decision reaffirmed the