Abdul Hameed Mohamed Lafeer v The Attorney General – CA HCC/133/2019-2021

In The Attorney General, representing the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka v. Abdul Hameed Mohamed Lafeer, the court examined whether the accused-appellant received a fair trial, focusing on the improper alteration of evidence by the High Court Judge without notifying the parties. It was determined that such procedural errors constituted a material irregularity, resulting in a denial of justice and invalidating the conviction for possession of heroin and morphine. The court, referencing relevant principles and precedents, established that a retrial should only be ordered when conviction on retrial is probable and just; in this instance, the significant lapse of time, substantial defense evidence, and risk of prejudice to the accused rendered a retrial inappropriate. Consequently,