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Criminal Appeals Statistics 2006-07
12/09/2007
Figures released today show that a total of just over 2,100 criminal appeals against conviction and sentence were concluded in 2006/07, a decrease of 25 per cent compared with the previous year, and the lowest figures recorded in the last decade.
Other main findings include:
- There were fewer appeals across all types of court of first instance. Decreases were recorded for Sheriff Summary Courts (24 per cent), the District and Stipendiary Courts (32 per cent), Sheriff Solemn Courts (18 per cent) and the High Court (32 per cent).
- Between 2005/06 and 2006/07, the overall average duration of completed criminal appeals decreased by 14 per cent to 132 days, with decreases recorded for all classes of appeal except those from District Courts.
- Appeals against conviction generally took longer to complete than appeals against sentence only - 372 days vs 162 days for solemn appeals and 129 days vs 79 days for summary appeals.
- 73 per cent of appeals involved cases where a custodial sentence had been imposed.
- Of the total number of appeals completed in 2006/07, 64 per cent were refused at the sift stage or otherwise abandoned.
- 36 per cent of all appeals progressed to a full appeal hearing - 15 per cent were subsequently dismissed, 5 per cent resulted in a successful appeal against conviction and 17 per cent resulted in a successful appeal against sentence.