Gamhewage Sunil Shantha vs Hon. Attorney General – HCC/64/19-2022

In the case between the Hon. Attorney General, Attorney General’s Department, Colombo 12 (Complainant-Respondent) and Gamhewage Sunil Shantha (Accused-Appellant), the court addressed whether the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution established, beyond reasonable doubt, the accused’s guilt of murder under Section 296 of the Penal Code. The court determined that strong, consistent, and unchallenged circumstantial evidence could sustain a conviction for murder, reaffirming the principle that such evidence must exclude every reasonable hypothesis except the guilt of the accused. Reliance was placed on relevant precedents concerning circumstantial evidence and statutory provisions relating to the evaluation of witness statements and omissions, highlighting that the trial judge is