Rawaya Publishers and Other v. Wijedasa Rajapaksha, Chairman Sri Lanka Press Council and Others – sllr 2001 volume 3 page 213

The case between Rawaya Publishers and others (petitioners) and Wijedasa Rajapaksha, Chairman, Sri Lanka Press Council, and others (respondents) addressed whether the complainant, Tilwin Silva, Secretary-General of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, was a necessary party who must be joined in the proceedings. The court held that failure to include a party in whose favor an order is made constitutes a fatal defect, leading to dismissal of the application. This decision reaffirmed the principle that a writ application must include all necessary parties to ensure an effective and just order, drawing on established precedents such as James Perera v. Godwin Perera and Farook v. Siriwardena. The ruling underscored the critical importance of procedural compliance, indicating that omission of an indis