Siyasinghe Kankanamge Sujith Prasanna vs The Attorney General et al. – CA BAL/35/2023-2023

In the case between the petitioner (the father seeking bail for his son, the suspect) and the Attorney General’s Department, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (Kelaniya Division), and related state agencies, the issue addressed was whether the prolonged remand of the suspect for over two and a half years without a formal charge constitutes “exceptional circumstances” under section 83(2) of the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act No. 41 of 2022. It was held that the extended duration of custody without a charge, in conjunction with other circumstances, satisfied the statutory threshold for granting bail in cases involving serious drug-related offences. The principle established reiterates judicial recognition of exceptional circumstances where statutory safeguards against abu