Wijesurendra v. Gunawardena and Others – sllr 1984 volume 1 page 239

In Wijesurendra v. Gunawardena and others, the Court addressed whether the Rent Board and the Board of Review had jurisdiction to examine and determine the validity of an annual value assessment under the Rent Act, where there had been non-compliance with the mandatory provisions of Rules 12 and 13 of the Village Councils Ordinance. It was held that strict adherence to these rules is fundamental to the validity of the assessment and, consequently, to the determination of authorized rent. The orders of both the Rent Board and the Board of Review, which had declined jurisdiction to inquire into the legality of the assessment, were found erroneous. The Court set aside those orders and directed a fresh inquiry, reaffirming that jurisdiction rests with the Rent Board and Board of Review to scru