Aluthgamage Upul Ramyathilaka vs. The Hon. Attorney General – CA/HCC/0204/2020-2024

In the case between Aluthgamage Upul Ramyathilaka (Accused-Appellant) and The Hon. Attorney General (Complainant-Respondent), the court addressed whether the trial court and High Court misdirected themselves by improperly shifting the burden of proof, particularly in the evaluation of prosecution evidence and the admissibility of the dying declaration. The judgment held that there was no such misdirection, concluding that the evidence established a strong prima facie case against the Accused-Appellant, and that all grounds of appeal were without merit. The court reaffirmed the principle that the burden of proof remains with the prosecution except as specifically legislated, and that the admissibility and assessment of dying declarations must be approached with caution but may be relied upo