Kurampola Ralalage Wejekoon Banda vs Hon. Attorney General – CA APPEAL NO. 112/09-2014

In the case between Kurampola Ralalage Wejekoon Banda (Accused-Appellant) and the Hon. Attorney General (Respondent), the court addressed whether the appellant’s conviction and death sentence for murder should be upheld. The primary legal issues concerned the accused’s plea of intoxication, the omission by the trial judge to address whether the accused’s evidence raised reasonable doubt, and whether any misdirection resulted in a substantial miscarriage of justice. It was held that the plea of intoxication was unsupported by evidence, as intoxication occurred after the incident. The trial judge’s failure to address reasonable doubt from the accused’s evidence constituted a misdirection, but the appellate court found no substantial miscarriage of justice occurred, affirming the conviction.