Mohottige Chaminda Lalith Kumara vs. The Officer-in-Charge, Police Station Weeraketiya – CA PHC APN 103/2024-2024

In the case between Mohottige Chaminda Lalith Kumara (Petitioner/Accused-Petitioner) and the Officer-in-Charge, Police Station Weeraketiya, along with the Attorney General’s Department, the court addressed the issue of whether a Magistrate’s order imposing a fine for possession of cannabis should be converted into a state cost due to exceptional circumstances. The court held that the existence of extraordinary circumstances, including the potential loss of accrued military benefits for the petitioner, warranted further consideration and the issuance of notice to the Attorney General. This decision reaffirmed the principle that revision is a discretionary judicial remedy available in exceptional cases, as established by prior case law (including SC/SPL/LA 176/2016 and CA 86/2009). The court