Ratnasekera Acharige Pradeep Nishantha Ratnasekera vs Hon. Attorney General – CA 12/2011-2014

In the case between Ratnasekera Acharige Pradeep Nishantha Ratnasekera and the Hon. Attorney General, the court addressed the issue of whether the conviction and death sentence for the alleged murder of the accused’s wife was supported by sufficient evidence, particularly where the case rested solely on circumstantial evidence. It was held that the prosecution had failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt, with the court emphasizing that suspicion is not a substitute for proof in matters of criminal responsibility. The decision reaffirmed the principle that conviction cannot be based solely on weak or ambiguous circumstantial evidence unless such evidence excludes every reasonable hypothesis except the guilt of the accused. The appellate court’s findings relied on established legal