Attorney General vs Hapuarachchige Nihal Sisira Kumara Karunaratne – CA NO: 78-79/10-2014

In the case between the Attorney General and Hapuarachchige Nihal Sisira Kumara Karunaratne, the court examined whether the conviction and sentence imposed under Section 486 of the Penal Code should be altered, particularly considering the significant lapse of time since the offence. It was held that while the conviction must stand, the sentence would be varied pursuant to Section 303 of the Criminal Procedure Code due to mitigating circumstances. The original sentence of four years’ rigorous imprisonment was replaced with a two-year rigorous imprisonment term suspended for five years, with the imposed fine remaining unchanged. This decision reinforced the principle that appellate courts may revise sentences in light of substantial delay and other factors, drawing on statutory powers under