Olam International Ltd vs Saman Silva and Others – sllr 2019 volume 2 page 252

In the dispute between OLAM INTERNATIONAL LTD (Plaintiff) and SAMAN SILVA AND OTHERS (Defendants), the key issue concerned whether the automatic forfeiture of goods under section 27 of the Customs Ordinance is applicable without affording a hearing to the petitioner, and the appropriate legal remedy available for reclaiming such forfeited goods. It was held that the forfeiture under section 27 operates automatically following a proven violation, irrespective of a personal hearing. The statutory interpretation reaffirmed that section 154 provides a specific remedy to contest forfeiture claims, confining redress to proceedings before the District Court rather than through writ jurisdiction. This approach reinforced the principle that when a specific statutory remedy exists, recourse to writs