China Great Wall Hospital Private Limited vs Raguwan Sandanam – SC Appeal 59/2024-2025

In the matter of China Great Wall Hospital Private Limited (Plaintiff) and Raguwan Sandanam (Defendant), the court addressed the interpretation of Section 11(2) of the Recovery of Possession of Premises Given on Lease Act No. 1 of 2023. The court held that the Court of Appeal erred in setting aside the District Court’s order making a decree nisi absolute, by wrongly invoking principles of natural justice to grant further time to the defendant. It was determined that the literal interpretation of the statute, which prohibits further time for showing cause, must be upheld. The decision relied on the literal rule of statutory interpretation and the availability of alternative remedies, reaffirming the principle that statutory language, when plain, must be followed. This decision established t