Mathakadeera Arachchige Irawathie vs The Attorney General – CA Bail Application 22/2020-2020

In the case between Mathakadeera Arachchige Irawathie and the Officer-in-Charge, Police Station, Kiribathgoda, the court addressed whether suspects charged under the Assistance to and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses Act, No.04 of 2015, should be granted bail on alleged threats made while in remand custody. It was held that the presence of exceptional circumstances—including absence of witnesses, discrepancies in investigative notes, and investigative delay—justified enlarging the suspects on bail. The principle reaffirmed concerned the assessment of exceptional circumstances for bail under the Act in the context of weak evidence and delays. Reliance was placed on the record of proceedings and statutory provisions governing bail, with the decision underscoring the need for proc