Correspondence
Bail Act 1976 amendments
This circular provides an overview of changes made to the Bail Act 1976 which has been amended by the Sentencing Act 2026.
Applies to England and Wales
Documents
Details
The Sentencing Act 2026 establishes a package of amendments to the Bail Act 1976 to help reduce the prison remand population. There are three main amendments to the Bail Act: a change to the ‘no real prospect of custody’ test; changes to the eligibility for electronic monitoring and adding specific additional factors to the list of relevant factors that a court should consider when deciding whether to bail or remand a defendant.
Updates to this page
Published 19 March 2026