Guidance

Applying for permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal (Form 206)

Updated 6 June 2024

1. Applying for permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal as a Litigant in Person (LiP)

This guidance tells you how to apply for permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal, Civil Division.

Before you complete an Appellant’s Notice you should read the following documents:

• Appellants Notice (N161) including guidance notes
• routes of appeal
• how to appeal to the Court of Appeal
• time limits for appealing to the Court of Appeal
• Court of Appeal (civil) fees
• how to prepare an appeal bundle for the Court of Appeal

Along with your completed Appellant’s Notice you must also include:

• grounds of appeal on a separate sheet (see Form N161A, section 7)
• a copy of the sealed order you want to appeal
• the court fee

You can file the Appellant’s Notice and other required documents by E-filing, email or post to the Civil Appeals Office. See the details at the end of this guidance.

In considering whether to ask permission to appeal, and in completing the Appellant’s Notice, you must take the following steps.

1. You must make sure that your appeal relates to the Court of Appeal (Civil Division), rather than to another court. Please refer to form 201 for guidance.
2. The court fee must be paid when you file your Appellant’s Notice (see form 200 for the payment of fees).
3. Your documents must be received (filed) within the time limits specified in form 207. Depending upon the type of order you want to appeal, you may have only 7, 21 or 28 days from the date of the decision you are appealing in which to file your Appellant’s Notice. This is unless the judge in the lower court has allowed a longer period. If you are submitting your Appellant’s Notice beyond the time limit you must tick the box in section 10, Part B of the Appellant’s Notice applying for an extension of time. You must explain the delay in section 11 and sign the statement of truth.
4. Whether you are sending paper documents, filing by email or E-filing, only one copy of the Appellant’s Notice and grounds of appeal is needed.
5. The acceptance by the Civil Appeals Office of an Appellant’s Notice does not mean that the Court of Appeal accepts jurisdiction in the case.
6. The required bundle of documents should be lodged within 14 days of filing the Appellant’s Notice. You must include a sealed copy of the Appellant’s Notice in your bundle. Please make sure you keep a copy of the bundle for your own use. See form 204 for guidance on how to prepare a bundle for the Court of Appeal.
7. The court will only grant permission to appeal if it considers that the appeal would have a real prospect of success or if there is some other compelling reason why the appeal should be heard.
8. In relation to a second appeal (an appeal from a decision which was itself made on appeal to the lower court) the Court of Appeal will only grant permission if, in addition, the appeal would raise an important point of principle or practice.
9. If you are granted permission to appeal, but your substantive appeal fails, you may be ordered to pay the respondent’s costs. You will be at similar risk if the court directs that any application is to be determined at a hearing at which the respondent is to attend.
10. The Civil Appeals Office staff are unable to offer any help in the preparation of your case except that set out in the forms mentioned above, but additional help might be available from RCJ Advice or from other legal agencies.

1.1 Ways to file your appeal

Filing by post

Civil Appeals Office Registry
Room E307, 3rd Floor, East Block,
Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London WC2A 2LL

E-filing

How to use the E-filing service

Email

For urgent matters email CivilAppeals.Urgentwork@justice.gov.uk

For non urgent matters email civilappeals.registry@justice.gov.uk

Telephone

Phone: 020 7947 7121 Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm (except public holidays)

RNID Typetalk 18001 (Text) 18002 (Voice)

Find out about call charges

www.civilappeals.gov.uk