Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 12:00 pm on 29 November 2007.
Power of Court of Appeal to disregard developments in the law
‘(1) The Criminal Appeal Act 1968 (c. 19) is amended as follows.
(2) In section 2 (appeals against conviction), after subsection (1B) (as inserted by section 26(2)) insert—
“(1C) In determining for the purposes of subsection (1)(a) whether the conviction is unsafe the Court may, if they think it appropriate in all the circumstances of the case, disregard any development in the law since the date of the conviction.”
(3) In section 13 (disposal of appeals against verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity), after subsection (1B) (as inserted by section 26(2A)) insert—
“(1C) In determining for the purposes of subsection (1)(a) whether the verdict is unsafe the Court may, if they think it appropriate in all the circumstances of the case, disregard any development in the law since the date of the verdict.”’.
(4) In section 16 (disposal of appeals against finding of disability), after subsection (1B) (as inserted by section 26(2B)) insert—
“(1C) In determining for the purposes of subsection (1)(a) whether a finding is unsafe the Court may, if they think it appropriate in all the circumstances of the case, disregard any development in the law since the date of the finding.” ’.—[Mr. Coaker.]
A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
