M. Gamini Dissanayake vs Officer-in-Charge, Police Station, Mawathagama – CA CPA/0146/2023-2024

In the case between M. Gamini Dissanayake (Petitioner/Accused-Appellant) and the Officer-in-Charge, Mawathagama Police Station, and the Hon. Attorney General (Complainant/Respondents), the court examined whether exceptional circumstances justified the exercise of the Court’s discretionary revisionary jurisdiction under Article 138 of the Constitution. The central issues involved the admissibility of bad character evidence and previous convictions and whether such evidence unduly prejudiced the petitioner’s right to a fair trial. After reviewing the procedural history—where a conviction by the Magistrate’s Court was upheld on appeal and a subsequent revision application was filed—the court held that exceptional circumstances were established. Both the High Court and Magistrate’s judgments w