Pre-charge bail: consultation on statutory time limits and related changes

The government is consulting on a series of measures whose overall impact should be to reduce both the number of individuals subject to, and the average duration of, pre-charge bail.

This consultation builds upon, and is complementary to, that carried out by the College of Policing between 27 March and 19 June 2014, the responses to which have just been published.

The measures being consulted upon include:

• enabling the police to release someone pending further investigation without bail in circumstances where bail is not considered to be necessary
• setting a clear expectation that pre-charge bail should not last longer than a specified finite period of 28 days, as recommended by the College of Policing
• setting the extenuating circumstances in which that period might be extended further, and who should make that decision
• establishing a framework for the review by the courts of pre-charge bail
• considering whether extension of pre-charge bail should only be available in certain types of case, such as fraud or tax evasion, or in all cases where there are exceptional reasons for an extended investigation
• considering how best to enable the police to obtain timely evidence from other public authorities
• considering whether individuals subject to pre-charge bail should be able to challenge the duration as well as the conditions in the courts

How to respond

You can complete the online survey

Responses must be received by 8 February 2015

You can also email your response to the following address: pacereview@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Or send it by post to:

Pre-charge bail review
Police Integrity and Powers Unit
6th Floor NW, Fry Building
Home Office
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

If you have any queries regarding the consultation or your proposed response, please contact the Police Integrity and Powers Unit.