Almost half of the cases heard this year by the Court of Appeal were for sexual offences, says the chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The DPP said that it appeared in 30 matters of which 12 were for sexual offences, eight for murder, three for manslaughter, two for wounding with intent and another two for possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.
The DPP also appeared in one matter each for felonious wounding, causing death by dangerous driving and uttering a forged document. The Court of Appeal dismissed and denied eight applications to appeal against convictions and sentences.
It allowed six of the applications in part, in that appeals against conviction were dismissed but the appeals against sentence were allowed.
The sentences were varied which included
commutation of two death sentences to life imprisonment. The Court of Appeal reserved one decision, while another application was withdrawn.
There were eight applications for extension of time to file and serve Notices of Appeal, of which six were granted and two denied.
Five appellants made applications for bail pending their appeal, three of these were denied while one application was granted and the other was withdrawn.
The Court of Appeal allowed an appeal by the State against an acquittal.
