The Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2003

Bail under Part V of the Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989

8.—(1) In Article 48 of the Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (NI 12) (bail after arrest)—

(a) in paragraph (1) (duty to appear or attend at appointed time), for the words from the beginning to “subject to” there shall be substituted the words “The duty of a person who is released on bail under this Part to surrender to custody under Article 4 of the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2003 consists of”;

(b) after paragraph (2) (appointed time) there shall be inserted the following paragraph—

“(2A) The custody officer shall make a record of the time and place appointed under paragraph (1)(a) or (b) and if the person released on bail so requests, the custody officer shall cause a copy of the record to be given to that person as soon as practicable after the record is made.”;

(c) for paragraphs (3) to (5) (recognisances) there shall be substituted the following paragraphs—

“(3) No recognisance for his surrender to custody shall be taken from him.

(3A) Except as provided by this Article—

(a) no security for his surrender to custody shall be taken from him;

(b) he shall not be required to provide a surety or sureties for his surrender to custody; and

(c) no other requirement shall be imposed on him as a condition of bail.

(3B) He may be required, before release on bail, to provide a surety or sureties to secure his surrender to custody.

(3C) He may be required, before release on bail, to give security for his surrender to custody; and the security may be given by him or on his behalf.

(3D) He may be required to comply, before release on bail under Article 39(1) or later, with such requirements as appear to the custody officer to be necessary to secure that—

(a) he surrenders to custody;

(b) he does not commit an offence while on bail; and

(c) he does not interfere with witnesses or otherwise obstruct the course of justice, whether in relation to himself or any other person.

(3E) Where a custody officer has granted bail he or another custody officer serving at the same police station may, at the request of the person to whom it is granted, vary the conditions of bail; and in doing so may impose conditions or more onerous conditions.

(3F) Where a custody officer grants bail to a person no conditions shall be imposed under paragraph (3B), (3C), (3D) or (3E) unless it appears to the custody officer that it is necessary to do so for the purpose of preventing that person from—

(a) failing to surrender to custody;

(b) committing an offence while on bail; or

(c) interfering with witnesses or otherwise obstructing the course of justice, whether in relation to himself or any other person.

(3G) Paragraph (3F) also applies on any request to a custody officer under paragraph (3E) to vary the conditions of bail.

(3H) Where a custody officer varies any conditions of bail or imposes conditions under paragraph (3B), (3C), (3D) or (3E), he shall make a record of the decision and shall, at the request of the person to whom bail was granted, cause a copy of the record to be given to that person as soon as practicable after the record is made.”;

(d) in paragraph (6) the words “(with or without entering into a recognisance)” shall cease to have effect.

(2) After that Article there shall be inserted the following Article—

“Forfeiture of security

48A.— (1) Where a person has given security in pursuance of Article 48(3C), and a magistrates' court is satisfied that he failed to surrender to custody then, unless it appears to the court that he had reasonable cause for his failure, the court may order the forfeiture of the security.

(2) If a court orders the forfeiture of a security under paragraph (1), the court may declare that the forfeiture extends to such amount less than the full value of the security as it thinks fit to order.

(3) An order under paragraph (1) shall, unless previously revoked, take effect at the end of 21 days beginning with the day on which it is made.

(4) A court which has ordered the forfeiture of a security under paragraph (1) may, if satisfied on an application by or on behalf of the person who gave it that he did have reasonable cause for his failure to surrender to custody, by order remit the forfeiture or declare that it extends to such amount less than the full value of the security as it thinks fit to order.

(5) An application under paragraph (4) may be made before or after the order for forfeiture has taken effect, but shall not be entertained unless the court is satisfied that the prosecution was given reasonable notice of the applicant’s intention to make it.”.