Nagoda Gamage Ratnasiri vs. Attorney General – CN67/2007-2007

In the case between the Attorney General, Attorney General’s Department, Colombo 12 (Complainant/Respondent) and Nagoda Gamage Ratnasiri (Accused/Accused-Appellant), the court addressed the issue of whether the conviction and death sentence for murder under section 296 of the Penal Code was safe and justified, particularly in light of the admissibility and reliability of depositions admitted under section 33 of the Evidence Ordinance and purported contradictions in key witness testimony. The court held that the conviction and sentence should be affirmed, determining that the evidence, including depositions of deceased witnesses and corroborative testimony by other witnesses, was properly admitted and evaluated. The principle reaffirmed is that depositions of deceased witnesses are admissib