Desmond Perera and Others v. Arunaratne, Commissioner of National Housing and Others – sllr 1994 volume 3 page 316

In the case between Desmond Perera and others (plaintiffs) and Karunaratne, Commissioner of National Housing and others (defendants), the court addressed the issue of whether a tenant’s application to purchase surplus houses under the Ceiling on Housing Property Law was valid if not submitted within the prescribed four‐month period, and whether there existed a legal right or legitimate expectation for a hearing before a divesting order under Section 17A(1) of the Law. The findings established that the application was not submitted within the required timeframe, and it was determined that the petitioners had no statutory right to be heard in such circumstances. The decision reaffirmed the principle that statutory rights and procedural protections arise only within explicit timeframes and no