Siddeek v. Jacolyn Seneviratne and Three Others – sllr 1984 volume 1 page 083

Brief
The case between Siddeek (Appellant, the tenant) and Jacolyn Seneviratne with others (including the 4th respondent, the landlord) addressed the issue of whether a statutory tenant, already in occupation of premises, may enter into a fresh lease qualifying for registration under section 29(2) of the Rent Act No. 7 of 1972, and whether such a tenant is considered a “person seeking to be a tenant” under the statute. The matter also considered whether administrative errors, including the non-communication of a prior erroneous Rent Board order, justified the discretionary remedy of certiorari. It was held that a statutory tenant can execute a fresh lease for registration under the Act, and that granting certiorari would serve no practical purpose where the net result would be the revival