Yapa Mudiyanselage Yapathilaka v. The Hon. Attorney General – CA HCC/151/2017-2022

In the case between The Hon. Attorney General, Attorney General’s Department, Colombo, and Yapa Mudiyanselage Yapathilaka, the court addressed whether the prosecution had established, beyond reasonable doubt, the accused’s possession and trafficking of 2.519 kg of Cannabis Sativa (Ganja) without legal justification. The court held that the conviction was unsafe due to material procedural lapses—specifically, the failure to call vital witnesses, improper evidence handling, and unresolved contradictions in the prosecution’s case—thus setting aside the conviction and ordering acquittal. The holding reaffirmed the principle that criminal conviction requires the prosecution to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt and that procedural fairness and reliability of evidence are paramount. Reliance