{"id":156902,"date":"2026-06-23T06:08:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T13:08:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=156902"},"modified":"2026-06-23T06:08:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T13:08:22","slug":"can-the-supreme-court-of-sri-lanka-overturn-its-decisions-under-exceptional-circumstances-if-so-what-are-they-what-is-the-supporting-case-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/06\/23\/can-the-supreme-court-of-sri-lanka-overturn-its-decisions-under-exceptional-circumstances-if-so-what-are-they-what-is-the-supporting-case-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Can the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka overturn its decisions under exceptional circumstances. If\u00a0 so, What are they? What is the supporting case law?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>AI Response<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<p><strong>Yes, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka can overturn its own decisions<\/strong>, but only under strictly defined, highly exceptional circumstances. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/can-supreme-court-act-revision-set-aside-its-own-order-amakal\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/can-supreme-court-act-revision-set-aside-its-own-order-amakal\">2<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/prepp.in\/question\/a-judge-of-the-supreme-court-can-be-removed-only-o-65e051a9d5a684356e9348d4\">3<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As established in landmark rulings, the Supreme Court is the apex judicial body and its judgments are constitutionally final. It has <strong>no statutory or constitutional power to rehear, review, or alter its decisions<\/strong> simply because a party is dissatisfied. However, the Court possesses <strong>inherent powers<\/strong> to vacate or set aside its own orders to prevent a miscarriage of justice or an abuse of the process of Court under specific conditions. [<a href=\"https:\/\/supremecourt.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/judgements\/sc_appeal_65_2025-2.pdf\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/sri-lanka.vlex.com\/vid\/jeyaraj-fernandopulle-v-premachandra-954465278\">2<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/can-supreme-court-act-revision-set-aside-its-own-order-amakal\">3<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Exceptional Circumstances Permitting Revision<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Court may exercise its inherent power to overturn its own final decision in the following exceptional situations: [<a href=\"https:\/\/brill.com\/view\/journals\/ajls\/16\/4\/article-p405_5.xml?srsltid=AfmBOoo8CPN4Laa7ZJf94E4pTwFRq8I0H7H1Wg-2McMl-UqWInr6ruFf\">1<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Decisions Passed <\/strong><em><strong>Per Incuriam<\/strong><\/em><strong> (Through Inadvertence\/Lack of Care):<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This is the primary ground. A decision is <em>per incuriam<\/em> if it was made in <strong>ignorance of an inconsistent statutory provision or a binding legal precedent<\/strong> that would have altered the outcome.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It also applies if the judgment is based on a <strong>manifest, obvious mistake of fact<\/strong> where the court accidentally misunderstood the record.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Breach of the Rules of Natural Justice (<\/strong><em><strong>Audi Alteram Partem<\/strong><\/em><strong>):<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If a final order was made without giving an affected party a <strong>right to be heard<\/strong> (e.g., passing an adverse judgment against a party who was never legally noticed or substituted).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fraud or Collusion:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If it is subsequently proven that the judgment was obtained through <strong>patent fraud, deception, or false evidence<\/strong> practiced directly upon the Court.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of Jurisdiction:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If the decision was a complete nullity <em>ab initio<\/em> because the Court acted entirely <strong>outside its legal jurisdiction<\/strong> or composition. [<a href=\"https:\/\/supremecourt.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/judgements\/sc_hc_cala_127_128_2014.pdf\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/supremecourt.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/judgements\/sc_appeal_59a_06.pdf\">2<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/sri-lanka.vlex.com\/vid\/jeyaraj-fernandopulle-v-premachandra-954465278\">3<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lankalaw.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/028-SLLR-SLLR-2004-V-1-KARIYAWASAM-v.-PRIYADARSHANI.pdf?srsltid=AfmBOoogThCeDfr59y4Exh0DhstmWwZfhJ_9ypTIE5SB3agyvUnOzmXh\">4<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/can-supreme-court-act-revision-set-aside-its-own-order-amakal\">5<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/supremecourt.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/judgements\/sc_appeal_134_18.pdf\">6<\/a>]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Supporting Case Law<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The boundary between finality and the inherent power to correct mistakes is governed by several core Sri Lankan cases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. <em>Jeyaraj Fernandopulle v. Premachandra De Silva<\/em> (1996) 1 SLR 70 [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/can-supreme-court-act-revision-set-aside-its-own-order-amakal\">1<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Principle:<\/strong> This 5-judge bench decision definitively ruled that the Supreme Court <strong>does not have a general revisionary jurisdiction<\/strong> to review its own final decisions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ruling:<\/strong> The Court emphasized that its decisions are final to ensure litigation comes to an end. However, it explicitly preserved the Court&#8217;s <strong>inherent power to correct decisions made <\/strong><em><strong>per incuriam<\/strong><\/em> (defined strictly as decisions made in ignorance of an inconsistent statute or binding case law). [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/can-supreme-court-act-revision-set-aside-its-own-order-amakal\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/sri-lanka.vlex.com\/vid\/jeyaraj-fernandopulle-v-premachandra-954465278\">2<\/a>]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. <em>Gunasena v. Bandaratilleke<\/em> (2000) 1 SLR 292<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Principle:<\/strong> The Court invoked the Roman-Dutch and Common Law maxim <strong><em>actus curiae neminem gravabit<\/em><\/strong> (an act of the court shall prejudice no man).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ruling:<\/strong> The Supreme Court affirmed that all superior courts possess the inherent authority to <strong>repair an injury caused to a litigant by the court\u2019s own obvious mistake or slip<\/strong>, extending the <em>per incuriam<\/em> rule to clear clerical or factual errors made by the judges during the reading of the record. [<a href=\"https:\/\/supremecourt.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/judgements\/sc_hc_cala_127_128_2014.pdf\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/sri-lanka.vlex.com\/vid\/gunasena-v-bandaratilleke-933022414\">2<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/supremecourt.lk\/wp-content\/uploads\/judgements\/sc_appeal_59a_06.pdf\">3<\/a>]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. <em>Ganeshanantham v. Goonewardene<\/em> (1984) 1 Sri LR 319<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Principle:<\/strong> One of the earliest major jurisprudence inquiries into whether a bench of the Supreme Court could revise a decision made by a previous bench of the same court.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ruling:<\/strong> It established that while final judgments stand, they can be set aside if there is a fundamental violation of natural justice or a clear <em>per incuriam<\/em> error that invalidates the proceedings. [<a href=\"https:\/\/paralegal.lk\/judgments\/1984-v1-sri-lr-319\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/supremetoday.ai\/search\/challenging-court-transfer-orders-post-decision\">2<\/a>]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4. <em>Kariyawasam v. Priyadarshani<\/em> (2004) 1 SLR 301<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Principle:<\/strong> Reaffirmed the <em>per incuriam<\/em> doctrine regarding an error of oversight.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ruling:<\/strong> The Court ruled that because a critical page of a final decree was overlooked during the initial hearing, it was a duty of the court to exercise its inherent power to rectify the error, stating &#8220;<strong>No man shall be put in jeopardy by a mistake made by a court<\/strong>&#8220;. [<a href=\"https:\/\/lankalaw.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/028-SLLR-SLLR-2004-V-1-KARIYAWASAM-v.-PRIYADARSHANI.pdf?srsltid=AfmBOoogThCeDfr59y4Exh0DhstmWwZfhJ_9ypTIE5SB3agyvUnOzmXh\">1<\/a>]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are evaluating a specific judgment for a potential review, please let me know:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Did the court <strong>overlook a specific section of an Act<\/strong> or a prior <strong>Supreme Court precedent<\/strong>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Was there an <strong>obvious administrative or factual slip<\/strong> in the final text?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>I can help you evaluate whether the situation fits the strict definition of <em>per incuriam<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/share.google\/aimode\/1IhKHWXCBadUSlwqo\">https:\/\/share.google\/aimode\/1IhKHWXCBadUSlwqo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Source:&nbsp; AI Overview<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>AI Response Yes, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka can overturn its own decisions, but only under strictly defined, highly exceptional circumstances. [1, 2, 3] As established in landmark rulings, the Supreme Court is the apex judicial body and its judgments are constitutionally final. It has no statutory or constitutional power to rehear, review, or [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[165],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-156902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-senaka-weeraratna"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156902"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156902\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":156903,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156902\/revisions\/156903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}