Lewis vs Senanayake – clr volume 2 page 149_2

In Lewis v. Senanayake, the court addressed the issue of whether convictions for offences under the Forest Ordinance, specifically regarding felling and removing timber without a permit, were lawfully entered when the operative statutory provisions were either repealed or misapplied, and where there was insufficient evidence about the status of the land in question. It was held that the convictions could not stand, due to reliance on a repealed statute and a failure to comply with statutory requirements for specifying offences and the sections under which convictions are made. The decision reaffirmed the principle that strict compliance with statutory requirements in criminal convictions is necessary, and that essential elements—including evidence as to the classification of land under for