Officer in Charge, Police Narcotic Bureau, Colombo 01 v Razik Ramzeen – CA PHC APN 149/2019-2022

In the case between Officer in Charge, Police Narcotic Bureau, Colombo 01 (Complainant) and Razik Ramzeen (Accused–Petitioner), with the Hon. Attorney General as Respondent, the issue concerned whether nearly ten years of pre-trial remand of the accused-petitioner, indicted for possession of heroin under the Poisons Opium and Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act No. 13 of 1984, constituted “exceptional circumstances” warranting bail. It was held that prolonged detention due to court backlog, absent fault on the part of the accused-petitioner, establishes such circumstances and infringes the right to a fair and timely trial. The finding reaffirmed the principle that extraordinary delay attributed to institutional congestion may satisfy the statutory “exceptional” threshold for bail under the rel