Pandemic situation not a special reason to grant bail, Appeals Court maintains

The Court of Appeal has ruled that the COVID-19 pandemic situation cannot be considered as a special reason to grant bail to suspects in custody.

The ruling followed the dismissal of a revision application submitted on behalf of a suspect who is under remand custody over drug-related charges.

He had been arrested in Chilaw last year in connection with the seizure of a large volume of heroin weighing up to 67kg.

The revision application had sought the Appeals Court to release the suspect on bail on the grounds of the risks of novel coronavirus, taking it into account as a special circumstance.

However, the Appeals Court maintained that the current pandemic situation is common to all prisoners and that it cannot be treated as an exceptional circumstance to grant bail.