Hetti Arachchige Champika Damayanthi v. Hon. Attorney General et al – CA CPA 0016/2022-2022

In the case between Hetti Arachchige Champika Damayanthi (Petitioner, on behalf of the suspect) and 1st Respondent Hon. Attorney General and 2nd Respondent Officer in Charge, Police Narcotic Bureau, the court addressed the issue of whether bail should be granted to the suspect, Abesekare Gama Arachchilage Ubhayathissa Priyantha, who had been remanded for 11 months on a serious narcotics charge without proceedings being initiated. The court held that the continued remand was disproportionate given the potential maximum sentence and the lack of prosecutorial progress, thereby ordering grant of bail under defined conditions. The principle reaffirmed was that individuals with a legitimate interest, including spouses, may apply for revision in criminal matters, and excessive pre-trial detention