The Hon. Attorney General vs Sandaradura Rathnapala De Silva – CA HCC/0154/2020-2023

In the case between Sandaradura Rathnapala De Silva, Sandaradura Wimaladasa De Silva, Agampodi Sena Silva (the Complainants) and the Attorney General, the court addressed whether the trial court erred by convicting the Accused-Appellant for murder under Section 296, rather than considering the defence of sudden fight as an exception to murder under Exception 4 to Section 294 and instead convicting under Section 297 for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The court held that a misdirection had occurred due to the trial court’s failure to consider the sudden fight defence, which warranted the alteration of the conviction to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, carrying a sentence of 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. This decision reaffirmed the principle that it is the duty of