Ranjani Perera vs. Attorney General – sllr 2021 volume 2 page 362

In the case between Ranjani Perera (Appellant) and Attorney General (Respondent), the court addressed the validity of a conviction under sections 54A(b) and 54A(c) of the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance relating to possession and trafficking of heroin. It was held that the prosecution failed to discharge its burden of proof beyond reasonable doubt, particularly due to discrepancies and inconsistencies in police evidence, procedural failures in the seizure and testing of drugs, and misdirection of the jury concerning the presumption of innocence. The court reaffirmed the principle that the presumption of innocence and the burden of proof are fundamental in criminal cases, relying on established statutory and common law standards. The conviction and sentence were set aside, emph