{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-appeal-northern-ireland-act-1980/section-12",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-appeal-northern-ireland-act-1980/section-12.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1980/47",
  "legislation_title": "Criminal Appeal (Northern Ireland) Act 1980",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-appeal-northern-ireland-act-1980",
  "path": "section/12",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "12",
  "heading": "Appeal against finding of not guilty on ground of insanity.",
  "text": "(1) A person in whose case a finding is recorded under Article 50(1) of the Mental Health Order that he was not guilty of the offence charged on the ground of insanity may appeal to the Court of Appeal against the finding-\n(a) with the leave of the court; or\n(b) if , within 28 days from the date of the finding, the judge of the court of trial grants a certificate that the case is fit for appeal.\n(2) Subject to subsection (4) below, the Court—\n(a) shall allow an appeal under this section if it thinks that the finding is unsafe; and\n(b) shall dismiss such an appeal in any other case.\n(4) Where but for this subsection—\n(a) an appeal under this section would fall to be allowed; and\n(b) none of the grounds for allowing it relates to the question of the insanity of the appellant,\nthe Court may dismiss the appeal if of opinion that but for the insanity of the accused the proper verdict would have been that he was guilty of an offence other than the offence charged.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words substituted by S.I. 1986/595 (N.I. 4), arts. 52(6), 136(1), Sch. 5 Pt. I"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 12(1) substituted (1.1.1996) by 1995 c. 35, ss. 1(4), 32(1); S.I. 1995/3061, art. 3(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 12(1)(b) inserted (14.7.2008) by Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (c. 4), ss. 47, 153(7)(8), Sch. 8 para. 16; S.I. 2008/1586, art. 2(1)(3), Sch. 1 para. 26 (subject to Sch. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 12(2) substituted (1.1.1996) for s. 12(2)(3) by 1995 c. 35, ss. 2(4), 32(1); S.I. 1995/3061, art. 3(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 12 modified (N.I.) (31.3.1997) by 1995 c. 35, ss. 10(6), 32(1); S.I. 1997/402, art. 3(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 12 extended (N.I.) (27.7.1999) by 1999 c. 25, s. 3(1)S. 12 modified (N.I.) (27.7.1999) by 1999 c. 25, s. 3(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "S. 12(2) modified (4.5.2010) by The Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/2789 (N.I. 8)), arts. 1(2), 34(5); S.R. 2010/142, art. 2, Sch. para. 1"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "nia/2016/18",
      "affecting_title": "Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/47/section/12",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:15:13.972942+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}