Question 1

How Long Does the Process Take?

Accepted Answer

Appealing a conviction or sentence from the Crown Court can take a long time. There are many variables at play but the most important one is the Court of Appeal which gives priority to defendants with the least amount of prison time left to serve.

Question 2

Can the Court of Appeal Increase My Sentence?

Accepted Answer

This is very unlikely indeed. The court only has the power to order a defendant to restart all or part of their sentence if they believe that the appeal has been pursued despite it having no merit. This power is not often used, and hardly ever if the barrister has signed the appeal application.

Question 3

Can I Get Legal Aid?

Accepted Answer

That sad reality is that the government has slashed Legal Aid rates over the past 20 years and there has never been proper funding for appeals done by a new legal team. More often than not the only option is to pool resources and fund the case privately.

Question 4

How much does it cost to appeal a Crown Court conviction?

Accepted Answer

The reality is that these cases are expensive. Solicitors and barristers have to be paid, all the papers read, all the court transcripts obtained and read, and the previous solicitors' file considered. There is often more work involved in trying to fix the problem at the second attempt.

As a rough guide, the minimum cost for appealing a conviction is £40,000 + vat while appealing a sentence alone starts at £15,000 + vat. Each case is assessed individually so these figures are only intended as a guide.

Question 5

Can you guarantee I will be able to appeal my conviction

Accepted Answer

Even if we ultimately have to tell a client and their family that there are no grounds to appeal they know we have left no stone left unturned.

Appealing a Crown Court conviction is not something many people will ever have to consider.

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