Doughty Street Chambers

This Practice Note explains how to appeal to the UK’s Supreme Court (sometimes called the ‘UKSC’) in criminal matters. Appeal to the Supreme Court comes from the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) or the High Court in a ‘criminal cause or matter’ where there is a point of law of general public importance in issue. The Practice Note includes the statutory basis of appeal to the Supreme Court, appeal from the High Court, appeal from the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) and the procedure for appeal to the Supreme Court. The Practice Note also covers applying to the Supreme Court for permission to appeal and what to do when permission is not required, preparation of an appeal when permission is granted, the appeal hearing at the Supreme Court, time limits for appeal to the Supreme Court and orders made by the Supreme Court following the hearing.

This Practice Note explains how to appeal to the Crown Court against a criminal conviction in the magistrates’ court pursuant to section 108 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 (MCA 1980). It covers the statutory basis for appealing a conviction, appeals against conviction following committal for sentence to the Crown Court, the procedure for appealing from the magistrates’ court (set out in Part 34 of the Criminal Procedure Rules (CrimPR), SI 2020/759) and the appeal hearing in the Crown Court.

This Practice Note covers the offence of encouraging another’s suicide or assisting another’s suicide under section 2 of the Suicide Act 1961. It deals with the elements of the offence, the Director of Public Prosecutions Guidance Policy for Prosecutors in Respect of Cases of Encouraging or Assisting Suicide, case law of encouraging or assisting a suicide and sentencing including R (Nicklinson) v Ministry of Justice, R (on the application of Kenward) v Director of Public Prosecutions (AM intervening) and R (on the application of Conway) v Secretary of State for Justice. The Practice Note also explained the sentence which can be imposed on conviction for assisting a suicide.

This Practice Note explains the offences of possession of indecent photographs of children under section 160 of the Criminal Justice Act 1998 (CJA 1998); possession of prohibited images of children under section 62 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (CJA 2009) and possession of a paedophile manual under section 69 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 (SCA 2015). It covers the elements of each offence, the available defences as well as the sentencing of these offences, and provides links to the Sentencing Council sentencing guidelines and also to the General guideline—overarching principles.