Being charged with a crime
Bail
When you’re waiting for a court hearing or a trial, you might be given bail. This means you can be released from custody until the hearing or the trial.
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:
- living at a particular address
- not contacting certain people
- giving your passport to the police so you cannot leave the UK
- reporting to a police station at agreed times, for example once a week
If you do not stick to these conditions you can be arrested again and be taken to prison to wait for your court hearing.
Bail from a court
When you’ve been charged and you attend your hearing at a magistrates’ court, you might be given bail until your trial begins.
You may not be given bail if:
- you’ve been convicted of a crime in the past
- you’ve been given bail in the past and not stuck to the terms
- the court thinks you might not turn up for your next hearing
- the court thinks you might commit a crime while you’re on bail
If you’re given bail, you might have to agree to conditions like:
- living at a particular address
- not contacting certain people
- giving up your passport so you cannot leave the UK
If you do not stick to these conditions, you can be arrested again. You’ll stay in police custody until you’re given another court hearing.
The court may put different conditions in place for your bail or keep you in prison until your trial starts.