Lalith Deshapriya v Captain Weerakoon and Others – sllr 2004 volume 2 page 314

Brief
In Lalith Deshapriya v. Captain Weerakoon and others, the court addressed the legality of the petitioner’s conviction, imprisonment, and dismissal from the Sri Lanka Navy, focusing on alleged violations of constitutional rights and natural justice. The findings established that the summary trial procedure failed to comply with statutory requirements, particularly the petitioner’s right to elect trial by court martial under section 29 of the Navy Act. Serious irregularities—such as the absence of a proper charge sheet, denial of legal representation, and evidence of coercion during detention—were relied upon to conclude that both procedural fairness and the rule against bias were fundamentally breached. The holding reaffirmed that failure to comply with such statutory and constitution