by Stephen McGuinness February-04-2016 in Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Dispute Resolution & Litigation
Figures made available recently by the Courts Service reveal the Supreme Court’s record during the Court of Appeal's first full year in operation. Stephen McGuinness reports.
The Court of Appeal was established on 29 October 2014 to address the severe backlog experienced in appeals coming before the Supreme Court.
Court of Appeal decisions can be appealed to the Supreme Court where:
- The matter is of general public importance and/or
- It is in the interests of justice that it be heard by the Supreme Court
There is no automatic right of appeal to the Supreme Court and it is necessary to seek leave to appeal from the Supreme Court itself.
In 2015 the Supreme Court received 88 new applications for leave-to-appeal and dealt with 38 of the cases, rejecting 26. Of the 88 cases, 66 were appeals from the Court of Appeal and 22 were directly from the High Court.
The Court Service figures also show that the Supreme Court has finalised 411 legacy cases, a backlog carried over from its old jurisdiction, prior to the establishment of the Court of Appeal.
The recent figures give a clear indication that the establishment of the Court of Appeal is fulfilling its role in helping clear the backlog of appeals.
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About the Author
Stephen McGuinness
Stephen is a partner in the Healthcare team at Hayes solicitors. Stephen specialises in the defence of medical and dental negligence claims taken against hospitals as well as individual medical and dental practitioners.