Lakshman Jinadasa vs Attorney General – CA 154/2008-2014

In the case between Lakshman Jinadasa (Accused-Appellant) and the Attorney General (Respondent), the court addressed whether a conviction for murder and attempted murder should be set aside due to alleged denial of a fair trial arising from multiple changes in defense counsel. It was held that a fair trial had not been infringed as the accused had representation of his own choosing throughout the proceedings, and no statutory provision mandated appellate intervention on these grounds. This decision reaffirmed the principle that the right to be heard does not encompass a guarantee of the competence or continuity of counsel, relying on domestic statutes such as the Judicature Act and Code of Criminal Procedure, and referencing comparative jurisprudence. The judgment emphasized that the prese