Mendis and Another v. The Republic of Sri Lanka – sllr 1992 volume 1 page 124

In the case between Mendis and Another (Plaintiff) and The Republic of Sri Lanka (Defendant), the court examined whether a jury’s verdict in a murder trial could be set aside as “unsafe or unsatisfactory” under Section 334(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act, No. 15 of 1979. The matter involved the convic­tion of the second and third accused on one murder count by a divided jury, despite acquittal on other counts. Consideration was given to conflicting witness testimonies, inconsistencies in key evidence, and the interpretation of legal standards from local and English precedents. It was held that the jury’s verdict was not sufficiently supported by the evidence, rendering it unsafe and unsatisfactory. The principle reaffirmed was that appellate courts may intervene where a verdict ca