Nuwara Pakshage Krishantha Karunarathna v. Hon Attorney General – CA HC 29/2017-2017

In the case between Nuwara Pakshage Krishantha Karunarathna (Accused–Appellant) and the Hon Attorney General (Respondent), the court addressed the timeliness of an appeal against conviction and sentence imposed under Section 354 and Section 365B(2)(b) of the Penal Code. It was held that the appeal, filed beyond the 14-day statutory period stipulated by Section 331 of the Criminal Procedure Act, lacked justification by exceptional circumstances. The appeal was rejected as not properly before the court, reaffirming the principle that statutory time limits for criminal appeals must be strictly adhered to unless sufficient cause for delay is demonstrated. This decision reinforced the mandatory nature of procedural compliance under the governing statutes, underscoring the imperative for timely