Hudson Samarasinghe vs Thilaka Wadasinghe Liyanarathnage – SC APPEAL NO 22/2020-2025

The court addressed the validity of a marriage amidst allegations of bigamy, and whether the respondent qualified for maintenance under the Maintenance Act No. 37 of 1999. The sequence of proceedings involved the Magistrate’s Court, the Provincial High Court, the Court of Appeal, and review by the Supreme Court. It was held that, absent a competent declaration of nullity, the marriage as evidenced by the registered marriage certificate remains valid, and the respondent is entitled to maintenance. The decision reaffirmed the principle that a marriage registered under the law stands unless legally invalidated, and statutory interpretation must be rooted in the plain meaning and legislative intent of the Maintenance Act and Marriage Registration Ordinance. Presumptions under the Evidence Ordi