Sadath vs. Attorney General – sllr 2020 volume 3 page 415

In the case between SADATH (Plaintiff) and the ATTORNEY GENERAL (Defendant), the court addressed whether the necessary mens rea (knowledge) was established for offences under the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, specifically in relation to the distinction between possession and trafficking. It was held that the prosecution met its evidentiary burden in proving that the accused had knowledge of possessing a prohibited substance, as required under Section 54A of the Ordinance and attributed by Sections 69 and 72 of the Penal Code. The findings reaffirmed the legal principle that, absent a statutory exception, criminal liability for drug-related offences requires proof of knowledge. Reliance was placed on relevant authorities, including Warner v. Metropolitan Police Commissioner