Kanaththa Randage Manoj Udaya Kumara Vs. The Hon. Attorney General – HCC/0038/19-2021

In The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka v. Kanaththa Randage Manoj Udaya Kumara, the appellate court addressed whether the conviction and life sentence for trafficking and possession of heroin should be upheld. The court held that the conviction could not be sustained due to significant misdirection in the evaluation of evidence, improper shifting of the burden of proof, and inadequacies regarding the chain of custody. The principle reaffirmed is that the prosecution bears the burden of proof and that strict standards must be maintained in evidentiary handling in criminal proceedings. Reliance was placed on established case law regarding retrials, underscoring that ordering a retrial is not warranted where the interests of justice do not require it, especially after a protracted