Kapuwatte Dissanayake Mudiyansalage Chandra Kumari vs The Hon. Attorney General – CA/HCC/295/19-2024

In the case between the Deceased Accused-Appellant Ranthilake Mudiyanselage Jayaratne Bandara (represented posthumously by Kapuwatte Dissanayake Mudiyansalage Chandra Kumari) and the Hon. Attorney General, the court addressed the issues of abatement of appeal following the appellant’s death under Section 358 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and the standards governing who may continue proceedings. The court further examined the evaluation of evidence concerning grave sexual abuse charges, specifically focusing on the credibility of child witness testimony and corroborative evidence. It was held that while the convictions and sentences relating to charges two and three were justified, the conviction and sentence on charge one could not be sustained and were set aside. The decision reaffirm