Criminal Appeal Act 1912

The Chief Justice may direct that proceedings under this Act on an appeal (including proceedings on an application for leave to appeal) against a sentence be heard and determined by such 2 judges of the Supreme Court as the Chief Justice directs.

Such a direction may only be given if the Chief Justice is of the opinion that the appeal is not likely to require the resolution of a disputed issue of general principle.

For the purposes of proceedings the subject of a direction under this section, the Court of Criminal Appeal is constituted by the 2 judges directed by the Chief Justice.

The decision of the court when constituted by 2 judges is to be in accordance with the opinion of those judges.

If the judges are divided in opinion—

as to the decision determining the proceedings, the proceedings are to be reheard and determined by the court constituted by such 3 judges as the Chief Justice directs (including, if practicable, the 2 judges who first heard the proceedings on appeal), or

as to any other decision, the decision of the court is to be in accordance with the opinion of the senior judge present.

Proceedings heard by the court constituted by 2 judges under this section are rendered abortive for the purposes of section 6A (1) (a1) of the Suitors’ Fund Act 1951 if they are required to be reheard because the judges were divided in opinion as to the decision determining the proceedings. The rehearing of the proceedings is considered to be a new trial for the purposes of that Act.