Hettiarachchige Amila Pathum vs The Attorney-General – CA 204/2008-2013

In Hettiarachchige Amila Pathum v. The Attorney-General, the court addressed the legality of the conviction and life imprisonment sentence imposed for possession of 10.5 grams of heroin. It was determined that the credibility and admissibility of defence evidence, including the testimony of a defence witness who allegedly observed the key aspects of the police search, were crucial to the outcome. The judgment established that the trial judge’s rejection of the defence evidence, based on perceived improbability and bias without compelling reason, failed to negate reasonable doubt raised in the prosecution’s case. The holding reaffirmed the principle that when defence evidence is believed or raises reasonable doubt, acquittal must follow. Reliance was placed on established precedents includi