Dewrage Punchihamy vs Kalappu Arichchi Liyanage Somawathie – SC/APPEAL/132/2018-2025

In the case between Kalappu Arichchi Liyanage Somawathie, Deepika Niwasa (Substituted Plaintiff-Appellant-Respondent) and Dewrage Punchihamy, Kankanam Arichchige Wijedasa (Defendant-Respondent-Appellants), the court addressed whether long-term possession by the defendants of the disputed land constituted adverse (prescriptive) possession under the Prescription Ordinance. It was held that adverse possession was established in favour of the defendants, with particular attention given to the sufficiency of physical boundaries—such as a fence and ditch—over technical superimposed plan lines, in proving the extent of possession. The legal principle reaffirmed is that natural and actual demarcations of land may sufficiently establish boundaries for the purpose of prescriptive title, even when su