Kirama Kankanamge Dinesh Thilina Danushka Ariyaratne alias Senevi v. The Honorable Attorney General and Officer in Charge, Police Station, Mawanella – COURT OF APPEAL CASE NO. 19/2012-2012

In the case between The Honorable Attorney General and Kirama Kankanamge Dinesh Thilina Danushka Ariyaratne alias Senevi, the court addressed the issue of whether the accused-appellant’s right to a fair trial was violated due to the High Court judge delivering judgment immediately after the dock statement and the closing of the defense case, without affording closing submissions to either party. It was held that the process adopted by the trial court denied the accused-appellant the fundamental right to make closing submissions, resulting in a violation of the right to a fair trial. The decision reaffirmed the principle that a fair trial requires not only the hearing of evidence but also the opportunity for both parties to make final submissions. Reliance was placed on constitutional provi