Ravindra Kahanda Kumara Weragama vs. M.A.S. Weerasinghe – SC APPEAL NO. 55/2017-2021

In the case between Ravindra Kahanda Kumara Weragama (Petitioner-Appellant) and M.A.S. Weerasinghe, Commissioner General of Agrarian Development (Respondent-Respondent), the court addressed whether the Commissioner-General of Agrarian Development possesses statutory authority under sections 28 and 29 of the Agrarian Development Act No. 46 of 2000 to impose conditions on the use of land deemed not to be paddy land. It was determined that the imposition of certain conditions (specifically, conditions 1, 2, and 3) exceeded the statutory powers (ultra vires), while others were held to be within incidental authority and severable. The court set aside the Court of Appeal’s determination, quashed the ultra vires conditions, and made no order as to costs, reaffirming the principle that administrat