Uyangodage Sumali Somasiri Vs. Officer in Charge, Police Station, Walasmulla and Others – CA BAL/24/2020-2019

In Uyangodage Sumali Somasiri v. Officer in Charge, Police Station, Walasmulla and others, the court examined the entitlement to bail of Kattadige Amila Gayan—charged under the Assistance to and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses Act No. 4 of 2015 for intimidation of victims and witnesses. The issue centered on whether exceptional circumstances justified bail under the non-bailable statutory regime stipulated in Section 10(1)(a) of the Act. After review of statutory interpretation and applicable precedent, it was held that extended remand without the service of an indictment and the failure to provide adequate prosecutorial explanation constituted exceptional circumstances warranting bail. The ruling reaffirmed that the definition of “exceptional circumstances” must remain flexib