Wijegunawardena v. Gracia – sllr 1984 volume 2 page 381

The case between WIJEGUNAWARDENA (plaintiff-appellant) and GRACIA CATHERINE (defendant-respondent) addressed the issue of the validity of a marriage conducted in a Catholic Church absent compliance with statutory requirements prescribed by the Marriage Registration Ordinance, specifically the necessity of a certificate of marriage notice. It was held that the purported marriage was void due to non-fulfillment of statutory formalities, and the appeal was allowed, granting the plaintiff-appellant a declaration of nullity without awarding costs. The principle reaffirmed was that a marriage performed in contravention of mandatory statutory prerequisites, including registration and notice, cannot confer lawful marital status, irrespective of religious solemnization or subsequent conduct by the