Brown & Co. Ltd. v. Adhikariarachchi, Labour Officer and Another – sllr 1984 volume 1 page 220

In the case between The Labour Officer (and related complainant‑respondents) and BROWN & CO. LTD., the court addressed whether the plea of autrefois acquit could be sustained in proceedings under the Wages Boards Ordinance given an earlier acquittal involving a similar charge concerning salary deductions. It was established that the offences adjudicated in the two matters, despite similarities, were legally distinct under the Wages Boards Ordinance and relevant provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The holding reiterated that the plea of autrefois acquit does not extend to circumstances where the charges arise from different legal offences, relying on statutory interpretation and precedent. The case clarifies the separateness of offences and the boundaries of issue estoppel in crim