Panadura Acharige Don Jayasiri Vs. The Hon. Attorney General – CA HCC 0059/2013-2025

The case between Panadura Acharige Don Jayasiri and The Hon. Attorney General, the court addressed the issue of the reliability of eye-witness identification, the application of the Ellenborough and Lucas Principles, and the consideration of an alibi defense in an appeal against conviction for murder, attempted murder, and mischief. The court held that the eye-witness testimony was clear, cogent, and credible, the Ellenborough and Lucas Principles caused no prejudice, and the alibi defense was adequately considered and rejected. This decision reaffirmed the principle that strong and incriminating prosecution evidence, properly analyzed, leads to a correct finding of guilt, emphasizing that while the burden of proof for an alibi does not rest on the accused, it must create doubt.

P. Kuma