Jayaratne Bandage Senaka Kumara Herath vs The Hon. Attorney General – SC/APPEAL/118/2022-2025

The court addressed the issue of the sufficiency of circumstantial evidence required to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt. It was determined that the evidence—comprising witness identifications, forensic links, and the completeness of the evidentiary chain—satisfied the standards set by Section 114 of the Evidence Ordinance and relevant judicial precedents. The court held that the conviction was appropriately based on an irresistible inference of guilt, reaffirming the legal principle that circumstantial evidence, when compelling and unbroken, can be relied upon for a conviction. The decision emphasized strict adherence to evidentiary standards, reinforcing prosecutorial obligations and standards for convictions relying on circumstantial evidence.

Menaka Wijesundera J. — The circ