Jayawardena & Others v. The State – sllr 2000 volume 3 page 192

In the case between Jayawardena & Others and The State, the court addressed the admissibility and reliability of evidence in the context of a criminal complaint filed several years after the alleged incident. It was held that a conviction cannot be safely sustained where material inconsistencies, unexplained delay in complaint, and substantial omissions compromise the credibility of the prosecution’s evidence. This approach reaffirmed the principle that the reliability of witness testimony, especially where there is a significant delay in reporting and unexplained omissions, is critical to a fair trial. The decision relied on established legal standards regarding evidentiary value and procedural fairness in criminal law, emphasizing that convictions must be founded on evidence free from ma