Police Pre-Charge Bail Reform
The Home Office is reviewing police pre-charge bail practices under the Bail Act 1976, as the remand population has grown significantly with increasingly risk-averse application of bail presumptions. The Ministry of Justice is investigating whether the legal framework is operating as intended and considering impacts of video link technology on remand rates, while rejecting proposals to broaden police charging powers without CPS involvement. Current focus is on independent review of bail application practices and HM Prison and Probation Service guidelines.
Pre-charge bail: Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 factsheet
In response to: Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022: factsheets
Police powers: pre-charge bail overview of the evidence (accessible version)
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Police powers: pre-charge bail overview of the evidence (Welsh version) (accessible version)
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Pre-charge bail overview of the evidence, raw data files (accessible version)
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Impact assessment (accessible version)
In response to: Police powers: pre-charge bail