The Hon. Attorney General v. Suriyaarachchige Ruwan Dammika Gunawardene – CA PHC APN151/16-2017

In The Hon. Attorney General v. Suriyaarachchige Ruwan Dammika Gunawardene, the court addressed whether a High Court Judge erred in granting bail to an accused indicted for trafficking and possession of a large quantity of heroin, without demonstration of “exceptional circumstances” as required under section 83(1) of the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. It was held that the stated grounds—prolonged remand, family circumstances, and administrative delays—did not amount to “exceptional circumstances” justifying bail for serious drug offences. The principle reaffirmed restricts the grant of bail in such cases to truly exceptional situations, consistent with prior precedents and statutory mandate. The Court of Appeal set aside the High Court’s bail order and annulled related steps