Sameen and Another v. Ceylon Hotels Ltd. – sllr 1989 volume 1 page 081

In the case between SAMEEN AND ANOTHER (Plaintiffs/Appellants) and CEYLON HOTELS LTD. (Defendant/Respondent), the court addressed the issue of whether the agreement for displaying and selling gems, jewellery, and curiosities in the hotel premises constituted a tenancy or was merely a licence. The court held that the arrangement did not confer tenancy rights and was limited to a personal privilege, reaffirming the principle that exclusive possession and other attributes must be present for tenancy, rather than mere labels or formal terms in the agreement. Reference was made to established legal authorities such as Addis Combo Estates Ltd v Crabbe, Booker v Palmer, Errington v Errington and Woods, and Street v Mountford. This decision emphasized that without sufficient indications of an inte