Do you have to answer bail in the UK?
Asked by: Jimmy Jaskolski | Last update: February 19, 2022Score: 4.7/5 (50 votes)
If you have been arrested for a criminal offence, you may be granted bail. ... If you are granted bail, you will be given a written notice advising you of the time, date and location you are required to answer bail and any conditions you must comply with. You may be required to answer bail: at a police station.
What happens if I dont answer bail?
What happens if I fail to answer bail? Under normal circumstances, failure to answer bail at the police station can result in some fairly severe actions. In short, the police have the power to arrest a person who fails to attend a police station at an appointed time, and no warrant is required for this.
Do you have to answer bail?
Do I have to attend? Yes, you must attend the police station at the date and time specified otherwise you could be committing an offence and your right to future bail maybe lost or affected. If you get a police record for not appearing at a police station, it affects whether you are granted bail in the future.
How does bail work in the UK?
Bail from a police station
You can be given bail at the police station after you've been charged. This means you'll be released from custody until your first court hearing. If you're given bail, you might have to agree to conditions like: ... giving your passport to the police so you cannot leave the UK.
When can bail be refused UK?
The grounds for refusing bail are set out in Schedule 1 to the Bail Act 1976. A person may be denied bail if there are substantial grounds for believing that any of the exceptions in Schedule 1 of the Bail Act 1976 are made out.
What can (and can't) you do while you're on bail? [Criminal law explainer]
Do you get bail money back if innocent UK?
If you paid cash bail to the court, meaning you paid the full bail amount, you will have that money returned to you after the defendant makes all required court appearances. If the person does not show up in court, that money will be forfeited and you will not see it again.
Do you have to pay bail in the UK?
Furthermore, in the UK, the legislation specifically provides that the accused has a right to bail, that is, the accused must be bailed unless the court thinks there is a possibility that he or she will abscond, commit more crimes while on bail, interfere with witnesses, etc.
Does bail mean you have been charged?
Being on bail means that you have been arrested or charged with a crime and can leave the police station or court, but you must return / go to court on a specific day at a specific time. If you do not attend court you can be arrested.
Can you be bailed without charge?
Defendants that are bailed from a police station without charge are released with the requirement to return at a later date for a charging decision. ... Breaches of police bail can lead to bail being denied at Court resulting in a remand to prison pending your Trial or Sentence.
Can charges be dropped before trial UK?
You may wish to discontinue a prosecution before or during the trial. ... The prosecutor has the right to discontinue the prosecution at any time before trial or up to close of the prosecution case. After that time, the prosecution can only be discontinued with the consent of the court.
Can I be charged without being interviewed?
Can I be charged without being interviewed? A police interview takes place because the police need evidence in order to be able to charge a suspect. Therefore, unless you have been directly caught committing a crime, no charges can be brought without going through the process of an interview.
What does answer your bail mean?
Download PDF. Bail is one of several actions that the police can take after arresting you. It involves release from police custody to await a later appearance at court or a police station.
Can you be remanded when you answer bail?
If you are arrested for breaking post-charge bail, you would be taken to court in custody, you could also be held on remand but this is extremely rare. Failure to surrender, ie. not turning up on the date given on your bail sheet (whether to a court or a police station) is a crime.
Can the police unlock your phone UK?
While the police do have the power to stop and question any member of the public at any time, you do not have to answer any questions if you do not feel comfortable doing so. ... This extends to the fact, under most circumstances, the police cannot stop you and make you unlock your phone so they can search it.
When can police detain UK?
The police can hold you for up to 24 hours before they have to charge you with a crime or release you. They can apply to hold you for up to 36 or 96 hours if you're suspected of a serious crime, eg murder.
How long can the police keep your phone UK?
The police will hold your property until all relevant matters have been dealt with. Once the letter of authorisation has been sent to you the general procedure is for them to wait 28 days for you to collect your property or for a response either by telephone or in writing.
What happens when on bail?
Bail often means a defendant enters into a recognisance (a bond between them and the court) to pay money if they break the conditions of bail. ... If a person is charged and released by the police on bail, the first court appearance must be within 28 days from the date of the charge.
What are the conditions of bail?
- If before conviction, that the defendant shall answer the complaint or information in the court in which it is filed or to which it may be transferred for trial.
- After conviction, that he will surrender himself in execution of the judgment that the appellate court may render.
What happens after bail is granted?
If a defendant is granted bail it means they are allowed back into the public while they await trial or further police investigations, instead of being remanded in custody (ie, locked up). ... This may be granted in the police station after interview or the court after the preliminary hearing.
What happens if you skip bail UK?
If convicted for failing to turn up at Court you could be sent to prison for up to 3 months. This is on top of any sentence that is imposed for the original offence for which you were on bail after failing to turn up at court.
Can I go on holiday while on bail UK?
"If you have travel restrictions on bail and are not allowed to leave Uk can you travel?" You can travel within the UK, as long as you comply with your remaining conditions.
Does bail get returned?
If a suspect breaches bail conditions they will be brought back before the court. It is then the decision of magistrates or a judge whether the suspect is remanded in custody or released on bail again. If a suspect is released on bail again more stringent conditions may be put in place.
Does bail money expire?
When the court case is over, the bail money is paid back even if the accused is found guilty. Bail money will however not be paid back, if the accused does not come to court on the day of their court case, or if they break any of their bail conditions such as if they interfere with any witnesses.
On what grounds can bail be refused?
An indicative list of factors to be considered while granting or refusing an application for bail is as follows: whether there is any prima facie or reasonable ground to believe that the accused had committed the offence. nature and gravity of the charge. severity of the punishment in the event of conviction.
Who grants bail?
In the case of bailable offences, if the accused produces proper surety, and fulfils other conditions, it is binding upon the Investigating officer to grant bail. However, in case of a non-bailable offence, the police cannot grant bail; it can only be granted by a Judicial Magistrate/Judge.