Sandun Dinusha Wanigasuriya vs. The Hon. Attorney General – CA/HCC/426/2019-2024

In the case between the Hon. Attorney General, Attorney General’s Department, Colombo 12 (Complainant-Respondent), and Sandun Dinusha Wanigasuriya (Accused-Appellant/Defendant), the court addressed whether the trial court erred in its evaluation of contradictory or incomplete evidence, the assessment of identification evidence provided by the primary witness, and the evidentiary weight of the appellant’s unsworn dock statement. It was held that minor inconsistencies in witness testimony do not necessarily compromise the integrity of the evidence if the salient facts remain consistent. The court reaffirmed the principle that unsworn statements from the dock bear limited evidentiary value, especially when the accused is not subject to cross-examination. Relying on established judicial princi