Dilum Iroshana Panditharathna v. Hon. Attorney General – CA HCC/267/19-2023

In the case between the Hon. Attorney General and Dilum Iroshana Panditharathna, the court addressed the issue of whether the conviction for possession and trafficking of heroin stood against the backdrop of evidential discrepancies and the alleged improbability of the prosecution’s timeline. It was held that the failure to adequately scrutinize inconsistencies in witness accounts and to evaluate the defense evidence resulted in a violation of the right to a fair trial. The principle reaffirmed was that the prosecution bears the burden of proof, and the judicial duty is to provide thorough analysis of all evidence presented. This decision relied on established legal standards regarding the proper evaluation of criminal evidence and principles ensuring fair trial, underscoring that convicti