Article 215. Procedure for Considering a Case by a Court of Appeal

A court of appeal shall consider a case in a court session according to the rules for considering a case by a court of first instance, with account taken of the special considerations established by this Chapter.

In the appellate instance court, the rules regarding the consolidation of cases into a single proceeding, changes to the subject matter or grounds of the claim, and the involvement of third parties in the case, as well as other rules established by this Code for the hearing of cases in the court of first instance, do not apply. An exception is made when the case is reviewed in accordance with the procedural rules of the court of first instance.

The failure to appear at the court session of the court of appeal of the person who filed the appeal (protest) and other persons participating in the case, duly notified of the time and place of the trial, shall not prevent the consideration of the case in their absence, except for the failure of the prosecutor to appear in cases initiated in the interests of society or the state.