M. Rajarathnam v. Hon Attorney General – CA 198/2014-2014

In the case between M. Rajarathnam (Appellant) and the Hon. Attorney General (Respondent), the court addressed whether the sentence imposed on the appellant should be backdated to the original date of sentencing, given that only the sentence, and not the conviction, was under challenge. It was established that the sentence would be backdated to the date of conviction (10.11.2014), subject to which the original judgment was affirmed and the appeal otherwise dismissed. The decision reaffirmed the principle that, where only the sentence is in issue and no objection is raised by the State, the court has discretion to vary the commencement date of a sentence, relying on relevant provisions of the Penal Code and established appellate procedure. This outcome confirms the court’s authority to orde