Jayalath Pathiranage Lal de Silva vs Officer-in-Charge, Police Station, Vavuniya – APPLICATION TRANSFER NO.419/2012-2013

In the case between Jayalath Pathiranage Lal de Silva (Petitioner) and the Officer-in-Charge, Police Station, Vavuniya and the Hon. Attorney-General (Respondents), the court addressed the issue of whether criminal proceedings should be transferred from the Magistrate’s Court, Vavuniya to another forum, on grounds of language barriers and personal inconvenience to the petitioner. It was held that courts are obligated to provide translations or interpretation for parties unable to understand the language of proceedings, ensuring fairness and due process. However, personal inconvenience to the petitioner cannot override the proper jurisdiction of the court or impose undue hardship on witnesses. Citing relevant procedural provisions, the application for transfer was dismissed, reaffirming the