Pietersz vs Wiggin – clr volume 2 page 111_2

In PIETERSZ v. WIGGIN, the court addressed whether a police station qualifies as a “public place” under section 488 of the Ceylon Penal Code in the context of charging misconduct while intoxicated. It was held that a police station is not a public place for this purpose, reaffirming the principle that areas permitting limited public access are considered essentially private. This decision relied on statutory interpretation of section 488 and prior definitions of “public place,” emphasizing that criminal liability under this section requires misconduct to occur in an area where the public enjoys unrestricted rights of access.

Withers J. — It was determined that the police magistrate’s interpretation of a police station as a public place under section 488 could not be sustained. The reason