Liyana Arachchige Manoj Bimsara Dissanayake v Hon. Attorney General – CA BAL/17/2020-2020

In the case between the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (represented by the Hon. Attorney General) and Liyana Arachchige Manoj Bimsara Dissanayake, the court addressed the issue of whether bail should be granted to the petitioner pending the hearing of appeals in two High Court convictions. It was held that bail could be granted under Section 20(2) of the Bail Act No. 30 of 1997 and Section 404 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act No. 15 of 1997, particularly in circumstances where the prosecution did not object and the time elapsed equaled or exceeded the original sentence. The reasoning emphasized the importance of judicial discretion in granting bail on appellate review and underscored that non-objection by the prosecution may be a relevant factor. The decision reinforced th