This appeal, (Muruthen Rallage Nawarathne Bandara and others vs. Henaka Rallage Premachandra Bandara (2025) SC/Appeal/18/2017) emerging from a long-standing property dispute in the District Court of Kegalle, centres on the procedural complexities of substitution and the execution of an ex-parte decree following the death of a defendant. The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka granted leave to appeal to address two pivotal questions of law: first, whether the District Judge erred in allowing the substitution of the deceased defendant under Section