Special Immigration Appeals Commission Act 1997

[F17BAppeals to Supreme Court: grant of certificate by CommissionU.K.

(1)If the Special Immigration Appeals Commission is satisfied that—

(a)the conditions in subsection (4) or (5) are fulfilled in relation to a final determination to which section 7(1) or (1A) applies, and

(b)in respect of that final determination, a sufficient case for an appeal to the Supreme Court has been made out to justify an application under section 7C,

the Commission may grant a certificate to that effect.

(2)The Commission may grant a certificate under this section only on an application made by a party to the appeal or review to which the final determination relates.

(3)The Commission may not grant a certificate under this section if the final determination is made by the Commission in Scotland.

(4)The conditions in this subsection are that a point of law of general public importance is involved in the final determination and that point of law is—

(a)a point of law that—

(i)relates wholly or mainly to the construction of an enactment or statutory instrument, and

(ii)has been fully argued in the proceedings on the appeal or review to which the final determination relates and fully considered in the judgment of the Commission, or

(b)a point of law—

(i)in respect of which the Commission is bound by a decision of the appropriate appeal court or the Supreme Court in previous proceedings, and

(ii)that was fully considered in the judgments given by the appropriate appeal court or, as the case may be, the Supreme Court in those previous proceedings.

(5)The conditions in this subsection are that a point of law of general public importance is involved in the final determination and that—

(a)the proceedings entail a decision relating to a matter of national importance or consideration of such a matter,

(b)the result of the proceedings is so significant (whether considered on its own or together with other proceedings or likely proceedings) that, in the opinion of the Commission, a hearing by the Supreme Court is justified, or

(c)the Commission is satisfied that the benefits of earlier consideration by the Supreme Court outweigh the benefits of consideration by the Court of Appeal.

(6)No appeal lies against the grant or refusal of a certificate under subsection (1).]