A serious criminal conviction can change the course of a person’s life. If you believe a conviction may be unsafe or a sentence may be excessive, obtaining specialist advice about a criminal appeal can be critical.
At FMT Solicitors, we advise and represent clients in serious and complex criminal appeals, including cases involving potential miscarriages of justice.
Our Head of Serious Crime & Appeals, Jeremy Moore, has more than 30 years’ experience in criminal law and has represented clients in some of the country’s most complex and high-profile cases.
Whether you have recently been convicted, have already been advised that there are no grounds to appeal, have previously lost an appeal or are seeking a fresh review of a conviction many years later, we can assess your case and advise you on the options available.
If you are concerned about a conviction or sentence and want specialist advice on your options, speak to our criminal appeals solicitors. We can discuss what has happened so far and whether an appeal, second opinion or detailed review may be appropriate.
Call 01525 303305 or contact us today to arrange an initial discussion.
Please note: our criminal appeals and CCRC work is privately funded. We do not offer Legal Aid for this work.
Being told that there are no grounds for appeal does not necessarily mean that you cannot seek a second opinion.
We can provide an independent second opinion where an appeal has previously been unsuccessful, a case has already been considered by other solicitors, or there are ongoing concerns about the safety of a conviction or the advice previously received.
A second opinion may involve examining the trial papers, previous legal advice, expert evidence, unused material and potential grounds of appeal to identify whether there are issues that warrant further investigation.
Depending on the circumstances, this can include considering:
Every case is different. Our role is to examine the available material carefully and provide clear advice on whether there are grounds for taking the case further.
If you have been convicted in the Crown Court and believe your conviction may be unsafe, you may be able to appeal against your conviction to the Court of Appeal Criminal Division.
Figures published by the Ministry of Justice show that the Court of Appeal Criminal Division received 1,181 applications relating to convictions in 2025, an increase of 4% compared with the previous year.
There is normally a 28-day time limit from the date of conviction for an application to appeal against conviction.
An appeal is not simply a second trial. Identifying viable grounds of appeal requires careful analysis of what happened during the original proceedings and why the conviction may be unsafe.
We can review the case, advise on potential grounds of appeal and, where appropriate, work with specialist appellate barristers, forensic scientists and other experts to investigate the issues and prepare the case.
If the 28-day deadline has passed, it may still be possible to apply for permission to appeal out of time. The reasons for the delay will need to be explained, and we can advise on whether a late application may be appropriate in the circumstances of your case.
You may also be able to appeal against a sentence imposed by the Crown Court.
The usual deadline is 28 days from the date of sentence. If the 28-day deadline has passed, it may still be possible to apply for permission to appeal out of time.
We can advise whether there are arguable grounds for challenging a sentence and, where appropriate, prepare an application for permission to appeal.
For cases where the normal appeal process has already been exhausted, it may be possible to apply to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).
The CCRC is the independent body responsible for reviewing alleged miscarriages of justice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It can refer a conviction or sentence back to an appeal court where the relevant legal test is met.
The CCRC will normally expect an applicant to have already used the ordinary appeal process. In many cases, this means identifying something new and significant, such as fresh evidence or a new legal argument that has not previously been considered.
Preparing a strong CCRC application can therefore involve considerably more than completing an application form. In complex cases, detailed analysis and further investigation may be required to identify new evidence, obtain expert opinion, trace witnesses or examine issues that were not properly explored during the original proceedings.
Our criminal appeals solicitors can undertake a detailed review of your case, advise on the options available and, where appropriate, prepare an application to the CCRC on your behalf.
Jeremy Moore has more than 30 years’ experience representing clients in serious and complex criminal cases, with particular experience in alleged miscarriages of justice.
Jeremy represented Barry George following his conviction for the murder of BBC presenter Jill Dando. After taking over the case following an unsuccessful first appeal, Jeremy represented Mr George through proceedings that ultimately saw his conviction quashed by the Court of Appeal. Jeremy then represented him at his retrial, where Mr George was acquitted.
Jeremy is also currently assisting Rachel Fulstow with a detailed review of her conviction and the preparation of an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission. The case has received national attention and has been examined in the BBC documentary Killer Couple: Love on Trial, in which Jeremy discusses aspects of the case and the ongoing review.
These cases demonstrate the detailed investigation and persistence that can be required when reviewing serious convictions, particularly where forensic evidence, fresh evidence or issues not fully explored during the original proceedings may be significant.
Our criminal appeals and CCRC work is privately funded. FMT Solicitors does not offer Legal Aid for this work.
There is no charge to submit an application directly to the CCRC. Where you instruct FMT to review your case, investigate potential grounds or prepare a CCRC application on your behalf, you will be responsible for our legal fees.
The amount of work required can vary considerably depending on the circumstances of the case. Some clients initially require a focused second opinion on the papers already available, while others require a substantial review involving extensive case material, further investigation, expert evidence or preparation of an appeal or CCRC application.
We will discuss the proposed scope of work and the likely costs with you before work begins so that you understand what is involved.
Serious criminal appeals require meticulous preparation. A case may turn on a piece of evidence overlooked years earlier, developments in forensic science, a new witness, undisclosed material or a legal argument that has not previously been considered.
We take the time to examine the detail of each case. Where further investigation is required, we can work with leading criminal barristers, forensic experts and other specialists to explore the evidence and identify whether there is a viable route forward.
We can assist with:
If you or a family member has been convicted of a serious criminal offence and you believe the conviction may be unsafe or a sentence may be excessive, speak to our specialist criminal appeals team. We can also provide a second opinion if you have previously been advised that there are no grounds to appeal or an earlier appeal has been unsuccessful.
Call FMT Solicitors on 01525 303305 or email hello@fmtsolicitors.co.uk.
