Silinona v. Dayalal Silva and Others – sllr 1992 volume 1 page 195

In SILINONA v. DAYALAL SILVA AND OTHERS, the court addressed the application of statutory time limits for filing affidavits under the Primary Courts Procedure Act. The issue arose when the petitioner, SILINONA, did not file her affidavit within the prescribed period after an application for extension went unanswered by the court. It was held that the statutory period imposed on parties is mandatory, and failure to comply constitutes default, reaffirming the principle that directory provisions apply to actions required of courts, while mandatory provisions govern those imposed on parties. The court relied on Sections 66(3) and 66(8)(b) of the Primary Courts Procedure Act, holding the delay in filing resulted in default and the application for revision was refused without costs, emphasizing