Northern Lands: Court Stays Gazette Notification for Acquisition!
The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has issued a stay order temporarily suspending the operation of the Gazette Notification issued under the Land Settlement Ordinance for the acquisition of 5,941 acres of land in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka.
However, the court intervened following a Fundamental Rights Petition (SC FR 112/25) filed by former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M.A. Sumanthiran.
The stay order will remain in effect until July 2, 2025, pending further judicial review.
The gazette notification raised alarm among civil society groups, landowners and legal experts, who argued that it indicated a widespread trend of government-initiated land acquisitions in areas traditionally dominated by Tamils.
Critics argued that the initiatives could lead to demographic manipulation and an increase in the authority of the military-backed state, and could hinder reconciliation efforts in the post-war north.
The three-judge bench comprised Justice Yasantha Kodagoda, President’s Counsel Sampath Abeykoon, and Justice Sampath Wijeratne.
The gazette notification dated March 28, 2025, was scheduled to come into effect on June 28.
