Criminal Appeal Act 1968

The hearingE+W

22 Right of appellant to be present.E+W

(1)Except as provided by this section, an appellant shall be entitled to be present, if he wishes it, on the hearing of his appeal, although he may be in custody.

(2)A person in custody shall not be entitled to be present—

(a)where his appeal is on some ground involving a question of law alone; or

(b)on an application by him for leave to appeal; or

(c)on any proceedings preliminary or incidental to an appeal; or

(d)where he is in custody in consequence of a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity or of a finding of disability,

unless the Court of Appeal give him leave to be present.

(3)The power of the Court of Appeal to pass sentence on a person may be exercised although he is for any reason not present.

23 Evidence.E+W

(1)For [F1the purposes of an appeal under] this Part of this Act the Court of Appeal may, if they think it necessary or expedient in the interests of justice—

(a)order the production of any document, exhibit or other thing connected with the proceedings, the production of which appears to them necessary for the determination of the case;

(b)order any witness who would have been a compellable witness in the proceedings from which the appeal lies to attend for examination and be examined before the Court, whether or not he was called in those proceedings; and

[F2(c)receive any evidence which was not adduced in the proceedings from which the appeal lies.]

[F3(2)The Court of Appeal shall, in considering whether to receive any evidence, have regard in particular to—

(a)whether the evidence appears to the Court to be capable of belief;

(b)whether it appears to the Court that the evidence may afford any ground for allowing the appeal;

(c)whether the evidence would have been admissible in the proceedings from which the appeal lies on an issue which is the subject of the appeal; and

(d)whether there is a reasonable explanation for the failure to adduce the evidence in those proceedings.]

(3)Subsection (1)(c) above applies to any [F4evidence of a] witness (including the appellant) who is competent but not compellable F5. . ..

(4)For [F1the purposes of an appeal under] this Part of this Act, the Court of Appeal may, if they think it necessary or expedient in the interests of justice, order the examination of any witness whose attendance might be required under subsection (1)(b) above to be conducted, in manner provided by rules of court, before any judge or officer of the Court or other person appointed by the Court for the purpose, and allow the admission of any depositions so taken as evidence before the Court.

[F623A Power to order investigations.E+W

(1)On an appeal against conviction [F7or an application for leave to appeal against conviction,] the Court of Appeal may direct the Criminal Cases Review Commission to investigate and report to the Court on any matter if it appears to the Court that—

(a)[F8in the case of an appeal,] the matter is relevant to the determination of the [F9appeal] and ought, if possible, to be resolved before the [F9appeal] is determined;

[F10(aa)in the case of an application for leave to appeal, the matter is relevant to the determination of the application and ought, if possible, to be resolved before the application is determined;]

(b)an investigation of the matter by the Commission is likely to result in the Court being able to resolve it; and

(c)the matter cannot be resolved by the Court without an investigation by the Commission.

[F11(1A)A direction under subsection (1) above may not be given by a single judge, notwithstanding that, in the case of an application for leave to appeal, the application may be determined by a single judge as provided for by section 31 of this Act.]

(2)A direction by the Court of Appeal under subsection (1) above shall be given in writing and shall specify the matter to be investigated.

(3)Copies of such a direction shall be made available to the appellant and the respondent.

(4)Where the Commission have reported to the Court of Appeal on any matter which they have been directed under subsection (1) above to investigate, the Court—

(a)shall notify the appellant and the respondent that the Commission have reported; and

(b)may make available to the appellant and the respondent the report of the Commission and any statements, opinions and reports which accompanied it.

[F12(5)In this section “respondent” includes a person who will be a respondent if leave to appeal is granted.]]

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