Jayasinghe vs Secretary, Seethawaka Urban Council and Others – sllr 2004 volume 3 page 198

The case between Jayasinghe (petitioner) and the Secretary, Seethawaka Urban Council (respondent), addressed the issue of whether a local urban council possesses jurisdiction under Section 84(1) of the Urban Councils Ordinance to order the removal of unauthorized structures within an area designated as a “development area” under the Urban Development Authority (UDA) Law. It was held that, by operation of the relevant statutory framework, only the UDA holds exclusive authority to regulate, permit, or approve development activities in such areas, and these powers cannot be delegated to local authorities under Section 23(5). The principle reaffirmed is that statutory bodies must remain within the confines of explicit legislative provisions governing their powers. This decision emphasized stri