Text as at 1 July 2026

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267 Appellant's failure to appear

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Explained inBill clause 267

(1)If an appellant (other than the DPP) fails to appear at the time listed for the hearing of the appeal, the County Court or the Supreme Court, as the case requires, may—

S. 267(1) amended by No. 3/2016 s. 72(1).

(a)strike out the appeal; or

S. 267(1A)(a) amended by No. 3/2016 s. 72(2)(a).S. 267(2)(a) amended by No. 68/2009 s. 24(1).

(b)adjourn the proceeding on any terms that it considers appropriate.

S. 267(2)(b) amended by Nos 3/2016 s. 72(3), 1/2022 s. 69.

(1A)If—

S. 267(1A) inserted by No. 30/2010 s. 64(1), amended by Nos 3/2016 s. 72(2)(b), 1/2022 s. 69.

(a)the County Court or the Supreme Court, as the case requires, strikes out an appeal under subsection (1)(a); and

(b)the appellant had been sentenced to a term of imprisonment or detention by the Magistrates' Court—

the registrar of the County Court, Prothonotary of the Supreme Court or the Registrar of Criminal Appeals, as the case requires may issue, in accordance with the Magistrates' Court Act 1989, a warrant to imprison the appellant and may recall and cancel that warrant.

(2)If an appeal is struck out under subsection (1)(a)—

(a)the sentence of the Magistrates' Court is reinstated and may be enforced as if an appeal had not been commenced but, for the purposes of the enforcement of any penalty, time is deemed not to have run during the period of any stay; and

(b)the registrar of the County Court, Prothonotary of the Supreme Court or the Registrar of Criminal Appeals, as the case requires must give to the respondent or to the respondent's legal practitioner a copy of the order striking out the appeal; and

(c)the making of an order striking out an appeal discharges the undertaking of the appellant to proceed with the appeal.

(3)The court, at any time, may set aside an order striking out an appeal because of the failure of the appellant to appear, if the appellant satisfies the court that the failure to appear was not due to fault or neglect on the part of the appellant.

S. 267(3) amended by No. 3/2016 s. 72(4).

(4)An application under subsection (3) to set aside an order may be made at any time on notice in writing to the respondent served a reasonable time before the making of the application.

(5)Notice under subsection (4) must be served in the same way as a notice of appeal.

(6)If the court grants an application under subsection (3), the court—

S. 267(6) amended by No. 3/2016 s. 72(4).

(a)must order the reinstatement of the appeal subject to the payment of any costs that the court considers appropriate; and

(b)may require the appellant to give a further undertaking to proceed with the appeal.

(6A)An application under section 265 for bail pending the reinstated appeal may be made to the County Court or the Supreme Court, as the case requires.

S. 267(6A) inserted by No. 30/2010 s. 64(2), amended by Nos 3/2016 s. 72(5), 37/2017 s. 16.

(7)On the reinstatement of an appeal under subsection (6), the appeal operates as a stay of the sentence (but not a conviction in respect of the sentence) when—

S. 267(7) inserted by No. 68/2009 s. 24(2).

(a)if required, the appellant signs the undertaking referred to in subsection (6)(b); and

(b)if the appellant is in custody because of the sentence appealed against and bail is granted under section 265, the appellant enters bail.

(8)Subsection (7) is subject to section 29 of the Road Safety Act 1986.

S. 267(8) inserted by No. 68/2009 s. 24(2).