Jayasekara Kankanam Pathiranage Wimalasena alias Wimale Mama vs Hon. Attorney General – CA HCC/0063/21-2023

In the case between Jayasekara Kankanam Pathiranage (Wimalasena alias Wimale Mama) and the Hon. Attorney General, the court addressed whether the sentence imposed for two sexual abuse charges should be set aside or upheld, specifically regarding the effective date of the sentence. It was determined that the appeal concerned only the sentence and not the conviction. The court held that the sentence should be operative from the date of conviction (04/08/2021) and dismissed the appeal, reaffirming the principle that criminal sentences, when so ordered, may be backdated to the date of conviction. This decision emphasized adherence to the Penal Code and proper sentencing procedure, clarifying that variations to the operative date of a sentence do not affect the validity of the conviction.

Mena