Dunusinghe Devage Keerthiratne vs Hon. Attorney General – CA 251/2010-2014

The case between Dunusinghe Devage Keerthiratne (Accused-Appellant) and the Hon. Attorney General (Respondent) addressed whether the conviction and death sentence for the murder of Karunawathie and voluntary hurt to Nissanka Wijeratne should be set aside in view of the accused’s alleged mental illness at the time of the offense. It was held that no substantial evidence of insanity existed to exempt the accused from criminal responsibility, and the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. The decision reaffirmed the principle that the defense must substantiate claims of insanity to qualify for exemption under the law, relying on statutory requirements for mental incapacity and evaluation of evidence on record. The conviction and sentence were upheld, emphasizing that unsubstanti