Cyril Alias Kularatne and Others v. The State – sllr 1988 volume 2 page 272

In Cyril alias Kularatne and others v. The State, the court addressed the issue of whether proper judicial directions were provided to the jury regarding legal verdicts in a case involving charges of unlawful assembly and murder. It was held that the trial judge failed to adequately explain the applicable law in relation to the facts, resulting in conflicting and untenable jury verdicts. The principle reaffirmed was the necessity for trial judges to correctly instruct juries, both on available verdicts and the legal principles relating to evidence, ensuring fair and just outcomes. The decision relied on procedural safeguards requiring clear judicial explanation to avoid miscarriage of justice. The outcome clarified that in the absence of such directions, verdicts unsupported by law or evid