Raphael Jayaseelath Fernando vs Hon. Attorney General – CA/HCC/0201/2020-2025

In the case between the Hon. Attorney General, Attorney General’s Department, Colombo 12, and Raphael Jayaseelath Fernando, the court examined the sufficiency and reliability of the chain of custody concerning heroin recovered during a raid. The appellate review centered on whether the prosecution established an unbroken chain of custody, particularly scrutinizing the inward journey of the production and the inconsistencies in witness testimonies. The conviction and sentence of the accused-appellant were set aside, as it was determined that the evidence presented did not remove reasonable doubt about the connection between the recovery and the analysis of the material. The holding reaffirmed that the prosecution bears the strict burden of proving the integrity of the chain of custody when