Loku Ranasinghe Arachchige Sunil Shantha vs The Hon. Attorney General – CA HCC 0046/19-2025

In the case between Loku Ranasinghe Arachchige Sunil Shantha and The Hon. Attorney General, the court addressed the issue of an appeal against a High Court conviction for multiple counts of rape committed against a minor. The court held that the conviction and the sentencing order of the High Court should be affirmed, establishing that adequate weight had been given to the evidence—including the victim’s testimony and medico-legal findings – and that no ground existed to interfere with the judgment. The principle reaffirmed is the necessity of deterrence and protection of society through the imposition of custodial sentences for grave offences such as rape, particularly when aggravating factors are present. This decision relied on relevant sentencing statutes and judicial precedents, empha