Rathnayake vs. The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka – sllr 2020 volume 1 page 328

In Rathnayake (Accused-Appellant) versus The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, the court addressed the issue of the accused-appellant’s conviction for triple murder, focusing on the credibility and timing of an alibi, inconsistencies in the sole eyewitness’s testimony, the probative effect of delayed statements, and the non-production of the murder weapon. It was held that while contradictions and belated testimony did not undermine the core prosecution case, and an alibi introduced late through the dock statement diminished its value, the evidence was insufficient to sustain the conviction for the third murder. The convictions for the first and second murder charges were affirmed, while the third was set aside. The holding reaffirmed the principle that peripheral inconsistencies