Ranasinghe v. Attorney-General – sllr 2007 volume 1 page 218

In the case between the appellant (convicted of murdering his mother-in-law) and the State represented by the Attorney-General, the court addressed the admissibility and evidentiary value of a dying declaration and a section 27 statement. It was held that the trial court failed to adequately consider the weaknesses inherent in the dying declaration (including its lack of oath, absence of cross-examination, and inconsistencies in witness testimony) and misconstrued the legal significance of a section 27 statement, which merely established the accused’s knowledge regarding the weapon’s location and not necessarily guilt. The principle reaffirmed is that such evidence must be properly scrutinized before being used as a basis for conviction, ensuring that the burden of proof is met beyond reas