Chandrasena and Another vs Divisional Secretary, Ampara and Others – sllr 2020 volume 2 page 023

In the case between Chandrasena and Another (petitioners) and the Divisional Secretary, Ampara and Others (respondents), the court addressed whether representations made during a government-organized mobile service—regarding the granting of long-term leases or grants over state land—created a substantive legitimate expectation in favor of the petitioners. The court held that such representations did in fact establish a legitimate expectation, which was enforceable through writs of certiorari and mandamus, reaffirming the principle that state authorities are bound by their lawful representations to individuals in the absence of overriding public interest. This decision relied on both local and English common law doctrines of legitimate expectation, emphasizing that consistency and fairness