Haththotuwa and Others vs. Lalitha Fernando – sllr 2021 volume 2 page 240

In the case between Haththothuwa and Others (plaintiffs) and Lalitha Fernando (defendant), the court addressed the issue of priority in land ownership arising from the registration of competing deeds under the Registration of Documents Ordinance. It was determined that the defendant’s deed (P4) was duly registered in the correct folio and with necessary cross-referencing, while the plaintiffs’ earlier deed (P3) was registered in the wrong folio. The holding reaffirmed the principle that proper registration on the correct folio—supported by statutory compliance and cross-referencing—determines the validity and priority of title over mere chronological execution of deeds. Reliance was placed on Sections 7(1) and 14(1) of the Registration of Documents Ordinance, emphasizing that the statutory