Your appeal / Ireland
Appeals in Ireland
Twenty-eight days with a paper original, a separate miscarriage of justice route, and no review commission.
The time limit is 28 days, on paper
Notice of appeal to the Court of Appeal on Form 9 must be lodged within 28 days. The court says that the original hard copy must be received before the limit expires, and that forms sent to the wrong office do not stop time.
If you are late, you can apply to enlarge time on Form 13, stating your proposed grounds. An appeal against conviction can only be argued on grounds in the notice, unless the court directs otherwise.
After your appeal: section 2
If you still stand convicted after an appeal, including an application for leave, you may apply to the court on the basis that a new or newly discovered fact shows a miscarriage of justice. This uses Forms 10 and 11, and the 28-day limit does not apply. A change in the law is not a newly discovered fact.
Paying for it
Legal aid does not automatically continue from the trial. The trial court may grant it at sentencing. Otherwise a fresh application must be made to the Court of Appeal. Administration of criminal legal aid may be changing, so check what is available when you apply.
Who else can help
We found no independent review commission like the CCRC in Ireland. The Irish Innocence Project works on claims of wrongful conviction.
Compensation
Where a court certifies that a newly discovered fact shows a miscarriage of justice, the Minister must pay compensation, unless the non-disclosure was your own doing. You may sue for damages instead. In July 2026 the Court of Appeal held that, in the absence of factual innocence, a finding of miscarriage of justice requires a serious and grave failure in the administration of justice.
General information only, not legal advice. Do not rely on this page for a deadline in your case.