Explanatory Notes

Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001

2001 CHAPTER 16

11th May 2001

Commentary on Sections

Schedule 6: Minor and Consequential Amendments relating to NCIS and NCS

Part 6: Miscellaneous and supplemental

Registration for criminal records purposes

Section 129: Requirement to give reasons for granting or continuing bail.

377.This section amends section 5 of the Bail Act 1976, which makes certain procedural provisions relating to bail decisions. At present, courts are required to give reasons when refusing bail but not, save in the most serious cases (e.g. murder and rape), to give reasons for granting it. The section adds a requirement that, wherever a magistrates’ court or the Crown Court grants bail to a person to whom section 4 of the Bail Act 1976 applies, the court must give reasons for its decision in any case where the prosecutor makes representations against the granting of bail on any conditions. It also requires the court to give the prosecutor, on request, a copy of the note of the reasons for its decision.