Pathmasiri Udugampola v. Hon. Attorney General – CA PHC 198/2017-2022

In Officer-in-Charge, Police Station, Poddala v. Pathmasiri Udugampola and Others, the Court of Appeal addressed whether the High Court’s order, which upheld the recommencement of criminal proceedings after compounding of offences, was lawfully made. The central issue concerned the interpretation of Section 266 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CPC), specifically whether unwritten court practices, such as requiring signatures on record for compounding, must be followed despite not being stipulated by statute. The findings established that Section 266 CPC expressly provides the criteria for compounding offences and does not mandate adherence to additional court practices. The Court set aside the High Court’s decision and allowed the revision application, reaffirming the principle that expl