Rathnayake Mudiyanselage Karunarathne vs. The Hon. Attorney General – CA/HCC/ 0016/2023-2024

In the case between the Accused-Appellant (a school teacher) and the Hon. Attorney General, the court examined whether the conviction for grave sexual abuse was legally sustainable in view of alleged inconsistencies in the victim’s testimony, issues concerning the evaluation of evidence, the alleged misdirection regarding unmarked defence statements, and claims of an improper shifting of the burden of proof in the original trial. It was held that the grounds raised did not materially affect the validity of the conviction, reaffirming the principle that findings of fact and credibility are primarily for the trial court unless a substantial legal error is demonstrated. The decision was grounded in an analysis of the relevant statutes governing sexual abuse offences, the law governing appella