In a major win for landowners, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has issued an interim order suspending a controversial government gazette that aimed to claim nearly 6,000 acres in the Northern Province as state land. The decision follows a fundamental rights petition filed by former MP M.A. Sumanthiran.
The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has suspended the operation of a government gazette that sought to seize 5,941 acres of land in the Northern Province, including in the districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, and Mullaitivu. The contentious gazette, issued under Gazette No. 2430 on March 28, 2025, declared that any unclaimed land by June 28, 2025, would be deemed state property.
This sweeping land acquisition move sparked widespread concern among Tamil landowners and activists, prompting former Parliamentarian and lawyer M.A. Sumanthiran to file a fundamental rights petition against the gazette.
Taking up the case, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justices Yasantha Kodagoda, Sampath Abeykoon, and Sampath Wijeratne issued an interim order today (June 27) halting the implementation of the gazette until further review.
The petitioner was represented by President’s Counsel Dr. K. Kanag-Isvaran and Viran Corea PC. The suspension of this gazette offers temporary relief to affected communities, with land rights once again taking center stage in Sri Lanka’s ongoing post-war reconciliation efforts.
