Who must grant permission for an appeal?

• A. The judge who heard the claim
• B. The appellate court
• C. The claimant's solicitor
• D. The defendant's solicitor

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is who acts as the gatekeeper at the start of an appeal. In civil procedure, permission to appeal is the step that decides whether an appeal should even proceed. That permission is normally given by the judge who heard the claim at first instance. That judge has seen the evidence, the reasoning, and the discretionary decisions in the case, so they’re best placed to judge whether the appeal has a real prospect of success or raises an important point of principle or procedure. If the first-instance judge decides there isn’t a sufficient basis for an appeal, it generally won’t go ahead. The other parties’ solicitors don’t grant permission, and the appellate court is typically not the initial gatekeeper unless the rules provide for a different route in specific circumstances.