Contract Law
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
Objectives of Report * To get an idea about the law structure of Sri Lanka * To study about contract law * To get an idea about the low governing offerer and acceptance in Sri Lankan Law.
Methodology
* Library and Internet research
Colonial History and the Law
Sri Lanka, formally known as Ceylon, is a multi-ethnic and multi-religion island nation in the Indian Ocean, near the southern coast of India. The ethnic and religious diversity of the nation, and also its colonial history, have a direct bearing on aspects of the legal system of Sri Lanka. The country’s largest ethnic group is the Sinhalese whose native tongue is the Sinhala language.
European control of what is now Sri Lanka began a few years after 1505 when inclement weather drove a Portuguese fleet of ships, commanded by Lourenco de Almeida, into what is now the Colombo harbor. Almeida, who also realized the strategic value of the island-nation in the context of trade routes, established cordial relations with the King in Kotte. The Portuguese did not introduce their laws in the coastal regions they controlled. The Portuguese were ousted by the Dutch during the 1600s. With the Dutch gaining control of Sri Lanka, primarily in the coastal regions, Roman-Dutch law gained a presence in the country. This “Roman-Dutch law has withstood many a tide of legal and political change to remain as the foundation of Sri Lanka’s general and common law.” The Dutch judicial system was well organized. Three major courts of justice were established: one each in Colombo (west), Galle (south), and Jaffna (north).
The customary and personal laws are based on ancient customs of the Sinhalese and Tamils whose ancestors hailed from specific regions in the country, as well as the customs of the Muslims. In 1815, when the Kandyan Kingdom in central Ceylon fell to the British, for the first time in history, the entire country of Ceylon came under the rule of a foreign power. At this
INTRODUCTION
Objectives of Report * To get an idea about the law structure of Sri Lanka * To study about contract law * To get an idea about the low governing offerer and acceptance in Sri Lankan Law.
Methodology
* Library and Internet research
Colonial History and the Law
Sri Lanka, formally known as Ceylon, is a multi-ethnic and multi-religion island nation in the Indian Ocean, near the southern coast of India. The ethnic and religious diversity of the nation, and also its colonial history, have a direct bearing on aspects of the legal system of Sri Lanka. The country’s largest ethnic group is the Sinhalese whose native tongue is the Sinhala language.
European control of what is now Sri Lanka began a few years after 1505 when inclement weather drove a Portuguese fleet of ships, commanded by Lourenco de Almeida, into what is now the Colombo harbor. Almeida, who also realized the strategic value of the island-nation in the context of trade routes, established cordial relations with the King in Kotte. The Portuguese did not introduce their laws in the coastal regions they controlled. The Portuguese were ousted by the Dutch during the 1600s. With the Dutch gaining control of Sri Lanka, primarily in the coastal regions, Roman-Dutch law gained a presence in the country. This “Roman-Dutch law has withstood many a tide of legal and political change to remain as the foundation of Sri Lanka’s general and common law.” The Dutch judicial system was well organized. Three major courts of justice were established: one each in Colombo (west), Galle (south), and Jaffna (north).
The customary and personal laws are based on ancient customs of the Sinhalese and Tamils whose ancestors hailed from specific regions in the country, as well as the customs of the Muslims. In 1815, when the Kandyan Kingdom in central Ceylon fell to the British, for the first time in history, the entire country of Ceylon came under the rule of a foreign power. At this