Criminal law and procedure—Evidence—Sufficiency—Magistrate holding inquiries in
residence after close of prosecution's case—Conduct indicative of magistrate's doubt
about guilt of accused—Doubts reasonable—Whether conviction of accused
sustainable.
Criminal law and procedure—Conviction—Reasons for—Accused allegedly slashing
complainant's cow—Hotly contested case—Whether magistrate obliged to give
reasons for accepting case of prosecution—Whether failure so to do contravening Act
30, s. 177(1)—Reasons for acceptance not obvious—Whether magistrate erred in
sentencing accused—Criminal Procedure Code, 1960 (Act 30), s. 177(1).
Criminal law and procedure—Conviction—Failure to record before sentence—Plea of
guilty—Omission to record plea—Whether omission a mere technicality—Priviso to
Act 30. s. 330(1) as amended by Act 261, s. 7 empowering courts to dismiss appeals
where no substantial miscarriage occurred or point raised one of technicality or
procedural error—Deprival of essential step in criminal procedure instance of
miscarriage of justice—Accused not deprived of essential step—Whether failure to
record conviction necessarily fatal—Act 30, s. 330 (1)—Criminal Procedure Code
(Amendment) Act, 1965 (Act 261), s. 7.