Mahadevan Yogakanthan vs Republic of Sri Lanka – CA APPEAL NO. 41/2010-2012

In the case between Mahadevan Yogakanthan (Accused-Appellant) and the Republic of Sri Lanka (Respondent), the court addressed the admissibility of a confession under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act and the Evidence Ordinance. It was determined that serious doubts existed regarding the voluntariness of the confession, particularly due to the accused-appellant’s prolonged custody, alleged torture, and the fact that the confession was recorded in Sinhala—a language not understood by the accused-appellant. The holding established that a confession may be excluded if the accused-appellant raises a reasonable doubt as to its voluntariness, aligning with statutory requirements under Section 16 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act and Section 24 of the Evidence Ordinance. The