Dewaneththi Chathuranga Kumara Silva and Sonia Anne Francis vs Hon. Attorney General – HCC/104-105/19-2022

In the case between Hon. Attorney General, Attorney General’s Department, Colombo 12 (Complainant-Respondent) and Dewaneththi Chathuranga Kumara Silva and Sonia Anne Francis (Accused-Appellants), the court addressed whether the appellants had been denied a fair trial due to the refusal of an opportunity to call a defense witness, and whether the convictions for possession, trafficking, and aiding and abetting in relation to heroin offenses rested on sufficient evidence. It was held that the denial of the right to call a crucial defense witness and the improper evidential evaluation by the High Court undermined the presumption of innocence and standards of proof. The principle reaffirmed is that the prosecution must prove its case beyond reasonable doubt and that a conviction cannot be sust