Gunawardena v. Pussadeniya, Commissioner of National Housing and Another – sllr 1983 volume 2 page 458

In the case between Gunawardena and Pussadeniya, Commissioner of National Housing and Another, the court addressed whether non-compliance with the Supreme Court Rules concerning the time limit for submitting written submissions, following the grant of Special Leave to Appeal, warranted dismissal of the appeal. It was held that the obligation under Rule 35(e) to lodge written submissions within fourteen days of the grant of Special Leave to Appeal is mandatory, and the filing of a fresh petition of appeal under Rule 12(2) does not alter or extend the prescribed deadline. The principles affirmed the strict application of procedural rules within appellate practice. Relying on the Supreme Court Rules of 1978, it was emphasized that failure to comply with statutory timelines necessitates dismis