Ranpatige Gamini Kumarasinghe and Jayawardane Mudiyanselage Nimal Karunarathne vs. Hon. Attorney General – CA/HCC/128-129/2017-2022

In the case between the Hon. Attorney General and the accused-appellants Ranpatige Gamini Kumarasinghe and Jayawardane Mudiyanselage Nimal Karunarathne, the Court of Appeal examined whether the convictions for murder, under sections 24 and 27, were supported by reliable identification evidence and whether due legal procedure, including the conduct of identification parades and the evaluation of witness testimony, was observed. The core legal issues centered on whether the prosecution had established actus reus, mens rea, and a shared common intention under section 32 of the Penal Code beyond a reasonable doubt. It was held that the evidence was insufficient, given serious procedural and evidential deficiencies, including flawed identification procedures and inadequate proof of the accused’