Weragama vs. Commissioner General of Agrarian Development – sllr 2021 volume 2 page 411

In Weragama v. Commissioner General of Agrarian Development, the Supreme Court addressed whether the Commissioner General of Agrarian Development possessed the legal authority under Section 28(1) of the Agrarian Development Act No. 46 of 2000 to impose specific conditions on land classified as non-paddy. It was determined that only some of the imposed conditions fell within the statutory authority granted to the Commissioner, while others were ultra vires. Emphasis was placed on the statutory interpretation of Sections 22, 28, 29, 31, and 83 of the Act and the principles of intra vires and ultra vires powers. The decision clarified the extent of rule-making and regulatory powers under the Act, reinforcing the requirement that administrative authorities must act within the scope of their ex