Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Karunaratne and Dissanayake Mudisyanselage Piyasena v. Hon. Attorney General – CA NO. 25/2011-2011

In the case between Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Karunaratne, Dissanayake Mudisyanselage Piyasena (Accused-Appellants) and the Hon. Attorney General (Respondent), the court addressed whether the accused-appellants were properly convicted of murder under section 296 read with section 32 of the Penal Code, or whether conviction for a lesser offence was warranted. The court held that the conviction and sentence of death should be affirmed, finding the case against the accused well established on the evidence, and that consideration of a lesser offence was not permissible due to the accused’s total denial of involvement. This decision reaffirmed the principle that where there is a complete denial of complicity, a lesser conviction cannot be considered. Relevant statutory provisions applied includ