Badde Kankanamage Chinthaka Kumara Ruwan vs Hon. Attorney General – SC APPEAL 128/2018-2023

In the case between the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and Badde Kankanamage Chinthaka Kumara Ruwan and Weerasinghe Pedige Ajith Kumara Weerasinghe, the Supreme Court addressed the validity of convictions for possession of a firearm under Section 22(1) read with Section 22(3) of the Firearms Ordinance in circumstances where neither the alleged firearm nor the Government Analyst’s expert report was produced at trial. The court determined that without such physical and expert evidence, it could not be established beyond a reasonable doubt that the item allegedly possessed was a “firearm” as legally defined, specifically an “automatic gun” under the Firearms Ordinance. The holding clarified that for offences necessitating technical or scientific definitions prescribed by statute,