Ilangatilaka and Others v. The Republic of Sri Lanka – sllr 1984 volume 2 page 038

In the case of Ilangatilaka and Others (appellants) versus The Republic of Sri Lanka (respondent), the Court addressed whether the uncorroborated evidence of accomplices, particularly that of witness A. Abdeen, constituted sufficient corroboration to sustain the convictions for housebreaking and theft. The findings established that, while statute and established common law allow for conviction based on uncorroborated accomplice testimony, prudence demands independent corroboration affirming both the crime’s occurrence and the accused’s involvement. Referring to the Evidence Ordinance (sections 114(b) and 133) and relevant judicial precedents, it was held that corroborative evidence existed through both circumstance and the accused’s abandonment of substantive explanations. The decision mai