Ratnayake Mudiyanselage Sudu Banda vs. Hon. Attorney General – CA 141/2014-2014

In the case between Ratnayake Mudiyanselage Sudu Banda (Accused-Appellant) and the Hon. Attorney General, the court addressed the procedural issue regarding whether sentences for two convictions should be implemented consecutively or concurrently, and the effective commencement date of the sentence. It was held that both sentences of 10 years’ and 5 years’ Rigorous Imprisonment should run concurrently, with the term commencing from 27/09/2017, thus partly allowing the appeal in respect of the implementation of the sentence. The principle was reaffirmed that where relevant circumstances warrant, sentences may be ordered to run concurrently, particularly when not objected to by the State and in view of time already spent in remand. The decision was anchored in a consideration of fairness, co