Mihindukulasuriya Peeter Joseph Cooreyra vs The Attorney General – CA NO. 134/2007-2011

In the case between Mihindukulasuriya Peeter Joseph Cooreyra (Accused-Appellant) and The Attorney General (Respondent), the court addressed the issue of whether the conviction for the possession and trafficking of 3.9g of heroin was sustainable given evidentiary contradictions and the rejection of defence medical evidence. It was determined that significant contradictions existed within the prosecution’s case, particularly regarding physical possession of heroin during arrest and the corroborated claim of assault against the accused. The court held that the benefit of reasonable doubt arising from these discrepancies must be afforded to the accused, resulting in the conviction being quashed and the appellant acquitted. This judgment reaffirmed the legal principle that, where material contr