Vol. 492 No. 7
298 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of persons convicted in the District Court in 1996 who appealed to the Circuit Court; and the proportion of cases where the conviction was reversed or where the original sentence was reduced. [14775/98]
299 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of cases since 1990 where the sentence of a person appealing against a conviction in the District Court was increased by the Circuit Court; and the proposals, if any, there are to alter the law that permits this. [14776/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 298 and 299 together.
During the year ending 31 July 1996, appeals were lodged in the Circuit Court by 5,765 convicted persons in respect of 15,418 convictions. Court statistics are not maintained in such a way as to show the results of such appeals.
There are no proposals to alter the law which permits an increase in an appellant's sentence where that sentence is appealed to the Circuit Court.
