Calculatorpreliminary calculation
Criminal appeal
Criminal proceeding appeal deadline calculator
Select the exact act named in the operative part, check whether it may be appealed separately and enter the documented start date. For proceedings in Kyiv and Kyiv Region, the tool distinguishes filing through the court of first instance from filing directly with the appellate court.
Check the criminal appeal calendar
The calculator applies the general time limits in Article 395 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine only after a confirmed type of judicial act is selected.
Enter the pronouncement date or actual date the copy was served, depending on the selected ground. Do not equate simple absence from a hearing with consideration without a summons.
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Preliminary result
Without the precise type of court act, 30, 7 or 5 days may be misleading. Check the operative part, Articles 307, 309 and 392 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, and the appeal procedure.
How the Criminal Procedure Code distinguishes 30, 7 and 5 days
Article 395 of the Criminal Procedure Code provides 30 days for a judgment and decisions on compulsory medical or educational measures, 7 days for other separately appealable first-instance rulings, and 5 days for appealable investigating-judge rulings. A separate 5-day route applies to the Article 392 rulings on imposing, changing, or extending detention before a decision on the merits.
As a general rule, the period starts on the day after pronouncement. Announcing only the operative part does not, by itself, move the start date to the date of the full text. For a person in custody, and in cases specified by law where a decision is made without a hearing, the copy’s service date is the starting point.
A judgment and an ordinary first-instance ruling are filed through that court. An appeal against an investigating judge’s ruling and a specified custody ruling is filed directly with the court of appeal. For local courts in Kyiv and Kyiv region, the Kyiv Court of Appeal is usually the appellate court, but the High Anti-Corruption Court and other special routes must be distinguished.
Calculation methodology
Calculation methodology
- The tool stops if the type of ruling is unknown or the right to a separate appeal has not been confirmed.
- The type of act determines the 30-, 7-, or 5-calendar-day deadline and filing route.
- The start date is the date of pronouncement or, only in a situation specified by law, confirmed receipt of a copy.
- The first day is the next calendar day; arithmetically, the last day equals the start date plus the number of days.
- If the final day is a Saturday or Sunday, it moves to Monday. Public holidays are not encoded due to the specifics of martial law.
- Status is compared with the current date in the Europe/Kyiv time zone; the result is always an estimate.
Example for a Kyiv district court verdict
A district court in Kyiv pronounced a verdict on August 17, 2026, and the person is not in custody.
- Act: first-instance court judgment
- Start: pronounced on 17.08.2026
- Period: 30 calendar days
The period starts on 18 August, with an estimated last day of 16 September 2026. The complaint is addressed to the Kyiv Court of Appeal but filed through the district court that issued the judgment.
Before filing, check the person’s status, operative part, proper appellate court, and court registry working hours.
What to prepare
- A copy of the judgment or ruling, including its operative part and appeal procedure.
- The hearing log or audio recording, a receipt, an institution’s certificate, or other proof of pronouncement or service of a copy.
- An appeal with case details, requested relief, arguments and references to the record.
- Documents confirming the defense lawyer’s or representative’s authority, if the person is not filing the complaint themselves.
- Copies and attachments cited in the complaint, with verified titles and numbering.
- A motion to renew the deadline and evidence explaining the delay, if the estimated date has already passed.
- Proof of mailing, handover to the institution’s administration, or acceptance by the registry office.
Official sources
- Criminal Procedure Code of UkraineArticles 115–117, 307, 309, 392, 395, 399, and 615 govern calculation, admissibility, deadlines, consequences of missing a deadline, and the narrow wartime caveat.
- The court’s official guide to appeals under the Criminal Procedure CodeA concise description of the deadlines and procedure for filing an appeal in criminal proceedings.
- Supreme Court: when the time limit starts after pronouncementExplains why pronouncing only the operative part does not move the start of the period to the date of the full text.
- Review of the Criminal Court of Cassation’s case law for April 2026Current official Supreme Court review for checking practical conclusions in criminal proceedings.
- Law of Ukraine No. 2136-IXDefines employment rules during martial law, including non-application of Article 73 of the Labour Code.
- Law of Ukraine No. 4928-IXOfficial confirmation of the extension of martial law, current as of the editorial review date.
- Prepared
- The methodology was prepared by the website editorial team under Articles 115–117, 307, 309, 392, 395, 399, and 615 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.
- Checked
- Deadlines, triggering events, appeal admissibility, and filing routes were reviewed by a lawyer without publishing personal data.
- Important
- This is a preliminary calculation: check the operative part, the person’s status, the method of service, and the right to a separate appeal against the case file.
Current as of . The calculation is preliminary and depends on the documents and circumstances.
Frequently asked questions
How many days are available to appeal in criminal proceedings?
Depending on the act — 30, 7, or 5 calendar days. First, determine whether this is a judgment, another separately appealable order of a court of first instance, an order for detention pending a decision on the merits, or an appealable order of an investigating judge.
Should I wait for the full text if only the operative part was announced?
As a general rule of criminal procedure, no: the time limit starts upon pronouncement, even if only the operative part is announced. Exceptional start dates for a person in custody or a decision made without a hearing must be confirmed separately.
How does consideration “without a summons” differ from absence at a hearing?
“Without a summons” means that procedural law and the procedure did not require the person to be summoned. If the person was summoned but did not appear, the absence alone does not automatically shift the start of the time limit to receipt of a copy.
Where to file a criminal appeal?
A judgment and an ordinary first-instance ruling are filed through that court. A complaint against an appealable investigating judge’s ruling and a specified custody ruling is filed directly with the competent court of appeal.
Does martial law automatically reinstate the time limit?
No. Article 615 of the Criminal Procedure Code applies only where an objective inability to act in time is proven. To seek renewal under Article 117, file a complaint, a separate motion, and evidence; the court decides.
Free initial consultation
Need to urgently check a criminal appeal?
Submit an application if you need to check the deadline, whether the order is appealable, the route through a Kyiv district court or direct filing with the Kyiv Court of Appeal, and prepare a request to renew the deadline.
- the calculator result can serve as a reference for a conversation
- documents, deadlines, or contract terms may change the conclusion
- briefly describe the circumstances in the form if needed