The Hon. Attorney General vs Bulathsinghalage Somasiri – CA PHC APN: 13/2017-2017

In the case between The Hon. Attorney General (Complainant-Petitioner) and Bulathsinghalage Somasiri (Accused-Respondent), the court addressed whether the sentence imposed by the High Court for grave sexual abuse under Section 365B(2)(a) of the Penal Code met the statutory minimum and reflected the seriousness of the offense. It was held that the sentence of three years’ rigorous imprisonment, below the statutory minimum, was both illegal and inadequate. The Court of Appeal enhanced the sentence to the statutory minimum of five years’ rigorous imprisonment, reaffirming that judicial discretion must be exercised within legislative parameters, particularly in cases involving vulnerable victims of sexual abuse. The decision relied on interpretations of Section 365B(2)(a) of the Penal Code and