Kurunegala Merchants Ltd and Others vs Gunawardane – sllr 2004 volume 3 page 167

In the case between Kurunegala Merchants Ltd and others (Plaintiffs) and Gunawardane (Defendant), the court addressed the issue of the validity of a judgment delivered by Mr. Swaris after his transfer from the District Court of Kurunegala to another jurisdiction, without formal reappointment or gazetting as District Judge of Kurunegala. The court held that the objection to jurisdiction, raised at a late stage, did not render the judgment invalid, reaffirming the principle that official and judicial acts are presumed to be regular unless proven otherwise. This decision relied on constitutional provisions, specifically Articles 114(1), 114(4), and 114(6), as well as Explanation 1 to Section 91 of the Evidence Ordinance and established legal precedents, emphasizing that objections to the auth