Tillekeratne v. Officer In Charge, Pugoda Police Station – sllr 1997 volume 1 page 007

In the case between Tillekeratne and the Officer-in-Charge, Pugoda Police Station, the court addressed whether an appellant, charged on the spot as a witness for giving false evidence (Section 190 of the Penal Code) and for intentionally insulting the Magistrate (Section 223 of the Penal Code), was afforded a fair trial when the charge sheet did not contain the required particulars and a conviction was based solely on a rubber-stamped plea. It was held that the appellant was denied the opportunity for a proper defense, as the proceedings took place immediately during cross-examination without full charges and with questions regarding the validity of the plea recording. Reference was made to relevant precedents (including In re De Silva, Jayawardena v. The Queen, Subramaniam v. The Queen, a