Find out what happens when we get your application form, when we will write to you and what will happen next.
Significant new evidence or legal argument
This means it needs to be something not covered at your trial or appeal. For example, new evidence not known about at the time, or a new scientific development.
We cannot revisit things already known by the jury, the judge, or the magistrates.
Information known at your trial even if you believe that they made the wrong decision will not be looked at again.
We need to find something new that makes your case look very different now. Repeating the
same points to us from your trial or appeal will not be helpful.
What we need is something new and important which will make the appeal court think
differently about your case. You need to tell us anything new in your application form which you know is new and could make a difference in your case.
What will you do with my application form?
When we get your application form, we will write to you about what will happen next. We will then obtain any material that we might need, like the files from the court where you were convicted and from your appeal. We might need to obtain other documents before we can decide whether we can review your case. If we decide that we should begin to review your case, we will write to you to tell you. We might, however, decide that we cannot review your case, for example:
- If you have an appeal pending.
- If you have not tried to appeal before and there are no special reasons why we should review your case before you have tried to appeal in the normal way.
- If your application does not raise any significant new points that might allow us to send your case for an appeal.
- If we decide that such a situation applies in your case, we will write to you to explain our decision.