Legal Definitions - Court of Appeal

Court of Appeal

The Court of Appeal is a senior court within the legal system of England and Wales. Its primary role is to review decisions made by lower courts, such as the High Court or Crown Court, to determine if any legal errors occurred during the original trial or hearing. It does not typically hear new evidence or re-run the trial; instead, it focuses on whether the law was correctly applied, or if the procedure was followed appropriately.

This court handles two main types of cases:

• Civil Appeals: These involve disputes between individuals or organizations, such as contract disagreements, personal injury claims, or family matters.
• Criminal Appeals: These involve cases where a person convicted of a crime believes there was a legal mistake in their trial or an error in their sentencing.

The Court of Appeal is usually composed of a panel of three senior judges, known as Lords Justices of Appeal, who collectively decide whether to uphold, overturn, or modify the original decision.

Here are some examples of when the Court of Appeal might be involved:

• Example 1 (Civil Appeal - Contract Dispute): A small technology company loses a significant breach of contract lawsuit in the High Court. The company's legal team believes the trial judge misinterpreted a crucial clause in the contract, leading to an incorrect judgment. They would then file an appeal with the Court of Appeal, arguing that the lower court made an error in its legal interpretation of the contract terms.

  This illustrates the Court of Appeal's role in civil cases, specifically reviewing whether the law (in this instance, contract law) was correctly applied by a lower court.

• Example 2 (Criminal Appeal - Sentencing): Following a conviction for a serious offense in the Crown Court, a defendant receives a lengthy prison sentence. The defendant's lawyers argue that the sentencing judge made a mistake by not properly considering mitigating factors or by applying the sentencing guidelines incorrectly. The defendant would appeal their sentence to the Court of Appeal, seeking a review of the legal basis for the punishment imposed.

  This demonstrates the Court of Appeal's function in criminal cases, where it examines whether legal errors occurred in the sentencing process or during the trial itself.

• Example 3 (Civil Appeal - Professional Negligence): A client sues their architect for professional negligence, claiming significant financial losses due to design flaws. The High Court rules in favor of the client but awards a much lower amount of damages than the client believes is justified, based on what they argue is an incorrect legal calculation of their losses. The client could appeal to the Court of Appeal, contending that the lower court misapplied the legal principles for assessing damages in professional negligence cases.

  This example highlights the Court of Appeal's role in reviewing the application of legal principles, even when the core finding of liability is not disputed, focusing on the correct legal assessment of remedies.