R (Respondent) v Wilson (Appellant)

Permission to Appeal application lodged

Case summary
Permission to Appeal
Previous proceedings

Case summary

Case ID

UKSC/2025/0205

Parties

Appellant(s)

Patricia Wilson

Respondent(s)

The King

Issue

Did the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland err in refusing the appellant’s applications for an extension of time within which to appeal her convictions and for leave to call witnesses and produce further evidence?

Facts

On 15 February 1978, the appellant was convicted of causing an explosion of a nature likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property contrary to section 2 of the Explosive Substances Act 1883, possession of an explosive substance with intent, carrying a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence (all on 11 January 1977) and membership of a prescribed organisation (Cumann na mBan). On the same day she was also convicted of causing an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property contrary to section 2 of the 1883 Act and possession of an explosive substance with intent on 14 March 1977. Following her arrest in connection with these offences on 23 June 1977, the appellant was interviewed by the police on eight occasions. During her penultimate interview she made admissions to involvement in two bombings of commercial premises in Belfast. She was 17 years old at the time of her arrest and detention and did not have access to a solicitor or her family until the completion of her interviews. While being medically examined by a doctor after her sixth interview, the appellant made complaints of having been physically assaulted, verbally abused and intimidated in the previous two interviews. The doctor submitted a record of the complaint to RUC headquarters on 25 June 1977. It was during the next interview that the appellant made admissions concerning her involvement in the bombings. At her trial, the appellant did not give evidence, nor was any witness called on her behalf. By virtue of section 2(6) of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1973 (the “1973 Act”), she had a right of appeal under section 8 of the Criminal Appeal (Northern Ireland) Act. However, the appellant did not exercise that right within the prescribed 28-day period for doing so. In January 2014, 35 years after her conviction, the appellant applied to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (“CCRC”) for review of her convictions, but the CCRC made a final decision in September 2018 not to refer her convictions to the Court of Appeal. The appellant then applied to the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland (“CA”) seeking an extension of time within which to appeal her convictions and leave to call witnesses and produce further evidence. In a majority judgment (given by Sir Declan Morgan and Sir Paul Maguire), the CA refused the appellant’s application. Moreover, while it certified three points of law involved in its decision as being of general public importance, the CA refused to grant permission to appeal to the Supreme Court. The appellant now seeks permission to appeal to the Supreme Court.