Devarahandi Asiri Kankanamge and Sudath Rohana Jayasiri vs. Hon. Attorney General – HCC/151/19-2022

In the case of Devarahandi Asiri Kankanamge Sudath Rohana Jayasiri v. Hon. Attorney General, the court addressed whether the conviction and sentence for causing the death of Kapuruge Sunil Jayantha by a rash or negligent act under Section 298 of the Penal Code were lawful and factually supported. The holding established that the conviction was legally valid, with the evidence sufficiently demonstrating a high degree of negligence by the appellant, and arguments of contributory negligence by the deceased were rejected. This decision reaffirmed the principle that, for liability under Section 298, a very high standard of negligence must be proved. Reliance was placed on both the physical evidence (placement of brake marks, accident location) and the credibility of the eye witness, with suppor