Liyanage Susil Prematilaka alias Thilaka vs. The Attorney General – CA/HCC/0334/2019-2024

In the case between Liyanage Susil Prematilaka alias Thilaka (Appellant) and the Attorney General (Respondent), the court addressed whether the circumstantial evidence, specifically the fingerprint identification from the crime scene, was sufficient for a conviction of murder under Section 296 of the Penal Code. It was held that the fingerprint evidence, supported by corroborating circumstantial proof, provided a compelling evidentiary basis for the conviction. The principle reaffirmed was that fingerprint identification, when conclusively linked to the criminal event and supported by the surrounding circumstances, may sustain a conviction in accordance with established authority. The decision relied on precedents concerning the evaluation of circumstantial and scientific evidence, undersc