Raluwe Don Iran Chaminda alias Sujith Vs The Hon. Attorney General – CA HCC/263/16-2023

In the case between the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (through the Attorney General’s Department) and Raluwe Don Iran Chaminda alias Sujith (2nd Accused-Appellant) and others, the court addressed the issue of whether an accused, absent during trial and later seeking to reopen proceedings under Section 241(3), is entitled to appeal a substantive conviction without challenging the High Court’s finding on the bona fides of absence. The holding determined that such an appeal was not permissible, emphasizing that appeals of this nature must adhere to specific statutory time limits and procedural prerequisites, notably the necessity to purge default. The decision relied on statutory interpretation and Supreme Court precedents, including Sudharman, H. K. Sumanasena, and N. Arumugam,