Balachandranprasath Satheesharan v. Hon. Attorney General – CA PHC APN 97/2014-2016

In the case between Balachandranprasath Satheesharan (Accused-Petitioner) and the Hon. Attorney General (Respondent), the court addressed whether an accused who was convicted in absentia, and who claims not to have received proper notice of the trial, is entitled to exercise the statutory right of appeal against the conviction, as protected under Section 14 of the Judicature Act and Section 331(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act. The core issues involved the petitioner’s right to appeal despite being convicted in absentia, the propriety of the High Court Judge’s initial refusal to entertain the appeal, and the application of statutory rights under the governing legal framework. The court held that the right of appeal is fundamental and cannot be withheld on grounds of absence or alle