Report
Submission-Criminal Appeals-Courts and Tribunals Bill – March 2026
Submission on the proposed reforms to the criminal appeals process contained in the Courts and Tribunals Bill APPEAL /// March 2026 APPEAL, alongside the Criminal Appeals Lawyers Association (CALA), Youth Practitioners Association (YPA) and the National Association for Youth Justice (NAYJ), raise urgent concerns about the Courts and Tribunals Bill. The proposal to abolish the…
Read MoreAPPEAL’s Statement on Jury-Trial Reforms
APPEAL’s Statement on Jury-Trial Reforms 3 December 2025 The charity APPEAL renews its strong opposition to government announcement that drastically reduces the role of juries in criminal trials across England and Wales. These reforms, triggered in part by the recently published review by Sir Brian Leveson and revived in the light of a severe crown-court…
Read MoreAccess to Justice: Call for Evidence – APPEAL’s Response 2025
Access to Justice: Call for Evidence APPEAL’s Response APPEAL /// September 2025 Access to justice in criminal appeals and applications to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) is under serious threat. Chronic underfunding of Legal Aid, a shrinking pool of legal providers, and high numbers of unrepresented applicants are materially reducing the ability of individuals…
Read MoreOur Impact Report 2024-25
Impact Report 2024-25 Signs of Hope, Calls for Change This year, we’ve seen genuine signs of hope for those failed by the justice system. The Law Commission’s decision to undertake a long-overdue review of the criminal appeals process signals a growing recognition that our system is not working as it should, and the results…
Read MoreJury on Trial
Jury on Trial: How Leveson’s Proposals Risk Greater Racial Bias and Wrongful Convictions 15 August 2025 Jury on Trial: How Leveson’s Proposals Risk Greater Racial Bias and Wrongful Convictions Alannah Burdess, Legal Intern at APPEAL, reviews Sir Brian Leveson’s proposals for jury trials. She discovered a wide range of evidence that shows how they would…
Read MoreLAW COMMISSION CONSULTATION RESPONSE, 2025
Law Commission consultation response Response to the Law Commission’s Criminal Appeals Consultation Paper APPEAL /// June 2025 APPEAL’s response to the Law Commission’s Criminal Appeals Consultation Paper (June 2025) strongly supports reform of the criminal appeals system to better identify and correct miscarriages of justice. We welcome several of the Commission’s proposals—particularly replacing the Criminal…
Read MoreJoint Enterprise on Trial
Joint Enterprise on Trial The ‘Joint Enterprise on Trial’ report launched by APPEAL’s Dr Nisha Waller and Tehreem Sultan is a first-of-its-kind report offering a rare, inside look at how joint enterprise is being used in criminal trials at the Old Bailey. Based on a six-month court watch, the study reveals how young, mostly Black…
Read MoreDefend our juries
Defend our juries: APPEAL strongly opposes government proposals to reduce jury trials 17 February 2025 Why are juries under threat? Sir Brian Leveson’s review of our court system, announced in December 2024 by the Ministry of Justice (‘MOJ’), has reignited debate about the role of juries in ensuring justice. The review, prompted by an alarming…
Read MoreWomen’s Sentencing
Women’s Sentencing women who kill APPEAL’s Women’s Justice Initiative (WJI) uses strategic litigation to appeal sentences and convictions for women experiencing severe disadvantage in the criminal justice system. Policy around women’s sentencing has been on the government agenda this year and we have responded to three public consultations. Personal circumstances must be considered The…
Read MoreOur Impact Report 2023-24
Impact Report 2023/2024 What a year it has been for APPEAL! Last July after many years of hard work our client Andrew Malkinson won his appeal at the Court of Appeal. Andy was finally able to achieve justice and the outpouring of support from the public has been extraordinary. The magnitude of the fallout from…
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