State v. Solanga Arachchige Norosh Darshana and Wijedasalage Nandasena – CA CASE NO. 48/2009-2009

In Attorney General v. Solanga Arachchige Norosh Darshana and Wijedasalage Nandasena, the court addressed the issue of the validity of criminal convictions for housebreaking, abduction, and gang rape, as well as the modality of sentencing in terms of concurrency and commencement date. The court held that convictions and sentences against both accused were to be affirmed, with the sole modification that all sentences must run concurrently and commence from the date of conviction. This decision reaffirmed the principle that sentencing courts may exercise discretion to order concurrent sentences, and sentencing should ordinarily date from the point of conviction, particularly where the defense requests it and the prosecution does not object. Reference was made to the Penal Code sections 443,