Piyaratane Thero v. Jothiya and Another – sllr 1985 volume 2 page 418

In the case between Piyaratana Thero (Viharadhipathi of the Degalagiriya Purana Viharasthanaya) and Jothiya and another (owners of the adjoining land), the court addressed the issue of whether the plaintiff temple’s title to disputed land was validly established, and whether defendants could claim title by prescription under section 34 of the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance. It was held that the plaintiff’s claim, supported by the 1881 deed and survey evidence, prevailed, and the defendants’ prescriptive claim was precluded by statute. The principle reaffirmed that parties are bound by boundaries established in deeds and supported by credible survey evidence, and that adverse possession cannot override such title where specific statutory provision applies. The court’s analysis relied on t