IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA Bulanawewe Gedera Loku Banda Dharmasena, Pelwehera, Madipola, Udasiya Pattuwa, Udugoda, Matale.

Plaintiff SC APPEAL NO: SC/APPEAL/29/2014 SC LA NO: SC/HCCA/LA/75/2013 HCCA KANDY NO: CP/HCCA/KANDY/62/2009 (F)

DC MATALE NO: P/2433 Vs.

1. Bulanawewe Gedera Abeyratne Banda Karunathilake, Pelwehera, Madipola, Matale.

2. Bulanawewe Gedera Tikiri Banda Dhanapala Bulanawewa, Bambaragaswewa (Deceased).

2(a). Sunil Dharmasiri Bandara, Bulanawewa, Bambaragaswewa, Galewela.

3. Bulanawewe Gedera Heen Banda, Meditation Institute, Polpithi Mukalana, Ja-ela (Deceased).

3(a). Lalitha Bulanawewa, “Sandhasiri”, Ganankete, Uhumeeya, Kurunegala.

4. Ekanayake Mudiyanselage Somaratne, Pelwehera, Madipola, Matale.

5. Ekanayake Mudiyanselage Bulanawewe Gedadera Lalitha Kumari Herath, Kurunegala Road, Dombawela, Mahawela, Matale.

6. Ekanayake Mudiyanselage Bulanawewe Gedadera Narendrasinghe Karunathilake, No. 126 Road, Mahawehera, Madipola, Matale.

7. Ekanayake Mudiyanselage Bulanawewe Gedadera Abeywansa Amanodana, Bulanawewe, No. 126 Road, Mahawehera, Madipola, Matale.

8. Ekanayake Mudiyanselage Bulanawewe Gedadera Anurudhdhika Jinadharee Indrani Bulanawewe, C/o Indrani Caldera, Dabagolla Road, Galewela, Matale.

Defendants AND BETWEEN Ekanayake Mudiyanselage Somaratne, Pelwehera, Madipola, Matale.

4^th Defendant-Appellant Vs.

B ulanawewe Gedera Loku Banda Dharmasena, Pelwehera, Madipola, Udasiya Pattuwa, Udugoda, Matale.

Plaintiff-Respondent AND NOW BETWEEN Ekanayake Mudiyanselage Somaratne, Pelwehera, Madipola, Matale.

4^th Defendant-Appellant-Appellant Vs.

Bulanawewe Gedera Loku Banda Dharmasena, Pelwehera, Madipola, Udasiya Pattuwa, Udugoda, Matale.

Plaintiff-Respondent-Respondent

1. Bulanawewe Gedera Abeyratne Banda Karunathilake, Pelwehera, Madipola, Matale.

2. Bulanawewe Gedera Tikiri Banda Dhanapala Bulanawewa, Bambaragaswewa (Deceased).

2(a). Sunil Dharmasiri Bandara Bulanawewa, Bambaragaswewa, Galewela.

3. Bulanawewe Gedera Heen Banda, Meditation Institute, Polpithi Mukalana, Ja-ela (Deceased).

3(a). Lalitha Bulanawewa, “Sandhasiri”, Ganankete, Uhumeeya, Kurunegala.

5. Ekanayake Mudiyanselage Bulanawewe Gedadera Lalitha Kumari Herath, Kurunegala Road, Dombawela, Mahawela, Matale.

6. Ekanayake Mudiyanselage Bulanawewe Gedadera Narendrasinghe Karunathilake, No. 126 Road, Mahawehera, Madipola, Matale.

7. Ekanayake Mudiyanselage Bulanawewe Gedadera Abeywansa Amanodana, Bulanawewe, No. 126 Road, Mahawehera, Madipola, Matale.

8. Ekanayake Mudiyanselage Bulanawewe Gedadera Anurudhdhika Jinadharee Indrani Bulanawewe, C/o Indrani Caldera, Dabagolla Road, Galewela, Matale.

Defendant-Added Respondents Before: Murdu N.B. Fernando, P.C., J.

S. Thurairaja, P.C., J.

Mahinda Samayawardhena, J.

Counsel: Kushan De Alwis, P.C., with Anuruddha Dharmaratne and Shashindra Mudannayake for the 4th Defendant-Appellant-

Appellant.

Dulindra Weerasuriya, P.C., with H.K.M. Pasan Malinda for Plaintiff-Respondent-Respondent.

Argued on : 15.11.2022 Written submissions:

by the 4th Defendant-Appellant-Appellant on 16.04.2014.

by the Plaintiff-Respondent-Respondent on 05.06.2014.

Decided on: 06.04.2023 Samayawardhena, J.

This is a partition action. At the time of the trial, in addition to the plaintiff, there were eight defendants. The only contesting defendant was the 4^th defendant. The others were sailing with the plaintiff. Those defendants (except the 4th) did not raise issues, cross-examine the plaintiff’s witnesses or lead evidence. After trial, the District Judge of Kandy entered judgment as prayed for by the plaintiff allotting undivided shares to all the parties. Being dissatisfied with the judgment, the 4^th defendant appealed to the High Court of Civil Appeal of Kandy. At the argument before the High Court, counsel for the plaintiff-respondent moved that the appeal be dismissed in limine since the other defendants had not been made parties and hence there was no properly constituted appeal.

The High Court upheld this preliminary objection