Rambanda Devayalage Anoma Priyadharshani vs. The Hon. Attorney General – CA HCC/0040/2020-2022

In the case between Rambanda Devayalage Anoma Priyadharshani (Accused-Appellant) and The Hon. Attorney General (Complainant-Respondent), the court addressed the issue of whether the original sentence of seven years rigorous imprisonment for grave sexual abuse under Section 365B(2)(b) of the Penal Code should be reconsidered due to the Appellant’s status as a 17-year-old minor at the time of offense. It was held that the custodial sentence ought to be varied, and a suspended sentence was substituted, reaffirming the principle that the best interests of the child, as both victim and offender, must guide sentencing decisions in cases involving minors. The decision relied on determinations made in Supreme Court case no. 03 of 2008 and international obligations, particularly the Convention on t