Changing Plea and Appeals following a Guilty Plea

All contents > Part 1 Pleading Guilty > Part 2 Credit for a guilty plea > Part 3 Basis of Plea > Part 4 Changing Plea

“A defendant who initially pleads Not Guilty to a charge is entitled to change his or her plea to Guilty at any stage before the verdict... Changing a plea from Guilty to Not Guilty requires the agreement of the court. ”

On this page:

Can I change my plea from not guilty to guilty?
Can I change my plea from guilty to not guilty?
Can I appeal against conviction if I have pleaded guilty?

Changing your plea

It is common and straightforward for a defendant to change plea from Not Guilty to Guilty and, depending on the stage of the case, this can be awarded with significant credit. Less common is the reverse, where a defendant who has pleaded guilty to an offence wishes to withdraw it and replace it with a plea of Not Guilty. Less common still, although far from unusual, is a defendant who wishes to appeal against their conviction, despite having pleaded guilty to the offence.

On this page you can find answers to all these questions. Read on for more.

Can I change my plea from not guilty to guilty?

A defendant who initially pleads Not Guilty to a charge is entitled to change his or her plea to Guilty at any stage before the verdict. This is common and simply requires the judge/magistrates to be asked for the charge to be put to the defendant again.