Matarage Don Lorence Apppuhamy vs Lucien Ivan Wilfred de Alwis – SC APPEAL 78/2014-2023

In the case between Matarage Dona Sudharma and others (including the de Alwis family) concerning a longstanding partition dispute over land in Mount Lavinia, the Supreme Court addressed whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the Revision Application due to inordinate delay in its filing and inadequate explanation for that delay. The court held that the dismissal of the Revision Application was proper, establishing that discretionary revisionary jurisdiction cannot be invoked absent exceptional circumstances and a satisfactory account of procedural delay. The decision reaffirmed the principle that revisionary relief is extraordinary and subject to strict procedural scrutiny. Reliance was placed on provisions of the Partition Act, relevant constitutional articles, and the Civil Proc