Selembaram Saunderaraj and Peraman Jeganathan vs Attorney General – CA 10/2011-2016

In the case between the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (represented by the Attorney General) and Selembaram Saunderaraj and Peraman Jeganathan, the Court of Appeal addressed the issue of whether accused-appellants have a right of appeal under Section 331(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act, No. 15 of 1979, from a High Court’s interlocutory order admitting the voluntariness of a judicial confession during a trial for murder. It was held that such an order is not appealable at this stage, as it is not a final judgment or order determining the rights of the parties. The principle was reaffirmed that appeals are permissible only from final judgments or orders, aligning with longstanding statutory interpretation and relevant legal precedents. The decision emphasized the discret