Dissanayaka Mudiyanselage Heen Banda v. Hon. Attorney General – CA 121/2011-2011

In the case between the Hon. Attorney General and Dissanayaka Mudiyanselage Heen Banda, the court addressed the validity of the conviction and death sentence imposed on the Accused-Appellant for the murder of Rathnayake Mudiyanselage Vijaya Kumari, specifically considering the treatment of witness evidence at trial. It was held that the original conviction and sentence were to be set aside and a re-trial ordered, on the basis that the High Court improperly discounted the testimony of a key prosecution witness, Jayathilaka, by deeming him an accomplice and suspect, without adequate consideration of the full body of evidence. The decision reaffirmed the principle that material evidence must be properly evaluated before determining the guilt of an accused. This outcome relied upon established