Wijesinghe Mudianselage Roy Rexi Miller alias Kopparaya and another vs Hon. Attorney General – CA HCC 284-285-15-2025

In the matter of Wijesinghe Mudianselage Roy Rexi Miller alias Kopparaya and another vs Hon. Attorney General, the court addressed the issue of the credibility of a sole eyewitness in a murder conviction. The court held that the failure of the sole eyewitness to disclose the names of the accused to the police at the earliest opportunity, despite familiarity, raised serious doubts about the testimony’s reliability. This decision reaffirmed the principle that prompt disclosure is crucial for credibility under Section 157 of the Evidence Ordinance. The conviction and sentence of death were set aside. The relevant statute was Section 157 of the Evidence Ordinance. The key takeaway was that unexplained delays in identifying perpetrators significantly undermine eyewitness testimony.

B. Sasi M