Dingiri Banda and Another vs. Divisional Secretary, Galenbindunuwewa and Others – sllr 2019 volume 3 page 333

In the case between Dingiri Banda and another (Plaintiffs) and Divisional Secretary, Galenbindunuwewa and others (Defendants), the court addressed whether a spouse who has succeeded to land by being nominated by the permit holder under the Land Development Ordinance is empowered to, in turn, nominate a successor. It was held that such a spouse retains the authority to nominate a successor, with the decision reasserting the interpretation of section 48A of the Land Development Ordinance. The principle reaffirmed is that the prohibition on nomination applies exclusively to spouses who were not nominated by the original permit holder. Reliance was placed on established case law, including Bandaranayake v. Karunawathie, and Dr. Puvanendran v. Premasiri, clarifying that a properly nominated spo