Nassar Mohommed Hussain vs The Hon. Attorney General – CA/HCC/0045/2023-2025

In the case between Nassar Mohommed Hussain (Accused-Appellant) and the Hon. Attorney General (Respondent), the court addressed the issue of whether an appeal filed more than seventeen years after a High Court conviction was out of time under Section 331 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act. It was held that the appeal was time-barred and merited dismissal, as the appellant’s prolonged absence and failure to offer any bona fide reason for such delay did not justify entertaining the appeal. The principle reaffirmed was that statutory time limits for criminal appeals are to be strictly observed, particularly where the appellant’s own contumacious behavior contributed to the delay. This decision relied on the statutory requirements of the Code of Criminal Procedure and existing case law, und