Nandasena v. Senanayake and Another – sllr 1981 volume 1 page 238

In the case between Nandasena (Plaintiff/Appellant) and Senanayake and another (Defendants/Respondents), the court addressed the issue of whether eviction orders and proceedings initiated under the repealed Paddy Lands Act could be enforced under the Agricultural Lands Law, No. 42 of 1973. The holding affirmed that such eviction proceedings remain valid and enforceable under the new legislative framework, emphasizing a purposive interpretation of statutory provisions to give effect to legislative intent and avoid rendering statutory schemes unworkable. The decision relied on the construction of sections 53(4) and 4(1A)(d) of the relevant laws, stressing that the commissioner’s mandatory duty to issue vacation orders and the subsequent enforcement procedures were legally sound. This outcome