Pre-charge bail
Birmingham Law School research project
The research project investigated the operation of police powers to bail suspects or release them under investigation after they were arrested and detained by the police and when there were outstanding enquiries or to await a charging decision from the Crown Prosecution Service.
About the project
The research project investigated the operation of police powers to bail suspects or release them under investigation after they were arrested and detained by the police and when there were outstanding enquiries or to await a charging decision from the Crown Prosecution Service.
The project provided insights into how pre-charge bail and Release Under Investigation (RUI) were being used after a period of considerable change and constant high-profile criticism and debate. It was the first research to examine the impact of significant legal changes brought in by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. The project built upon a previous project undertaken in early 2010s thus providing unique data to examine the impact of legal changes on police practices by comparing three different legal frameworks. The project drew on data collected from court observations, police administrative data, surveys and interviews with police officers and interviews with victim’s organisations.
The project was completed in partnership with the National Police Chief’s Council and three police forces. It began in January 2023 and was completed in July 2024.
The project was led by Professor Anthea Hucklesby. She can be contacted on a.hucklesby@bham.ac.uk
End of project seminar
End of project seminar
A seminar was held on 26th June 2024 attended by 80 delegates. It brought together experts to discuss the findings of research and reflect on their implications for law, policy and practice.
The main findings of the research were presented, and critical reflections were provided by experts from academia, policing, the legal profession and civil society groups.
Seminar presentations are available here:
- Introduction
- Professor Hucklesby (University of Birmingham) [PDF, 1 MB]
- Professor Ed Cape (University of West of England) [PDF, 425 KB]
- Deputy Chief Constable Jonathan Roy (NPCC lead for Pre-charge bail).
- Rachel Horman-Brown (Solicitor and Trustee of Paladin) [PDF, 1.1 MB]
- Nogah Ofer (Centre for Women’s Justice) [PDF, 408 KB]