Pre-charge bail and Release Under Investigation

This seminar will discuss the findings of a research project to examine the impact of changes in the law on pre-charge bail and reflect on their implications for law, policy and practice.

Pre-charge police bail and Release Under Investigation have been controversial and subject to significant legal change over the last eight years. The most recent changes in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 aimed to better balance suspects’ and victims’ rights by allowing bail to be used when necessary and proportionate and to safeguard victims whilst regulating the time spent on bail. Its intention was to increase the use of bail and reduce the use of Release Under Investigation.

This seminar will discuss the findings of the first research project to examine the impact of these changes on police practices and reflect on their implications for law, policy and practice. The research was conducted by Professor Anthea Hucklesby in three police forces and involved the collection and analysis of administrative data, surveys and interviews with police officers and victims’ organisations.

The seminar will be of interest to police forces, academics and postgraduate students, victims’ organisations, criminal justice and human rights’ organisations, criminal justice professionals and parliamentarians.

Provisional programme

9.00-9.30           Arrival and refreshments

9.30-9.45           Welcome and introduction

9.45-11.15        Pre-charge bail and Release under Investigation: an examination of their use, effectiveness and impact on suspects’ and victims’ rights and confidence in the criminal justice system

• Professor Anthea Hucklesby (University of Birmingham)

11.15-11.45     Refreshments

11.45-12.30     Pre-charge bail and Release under Investigation in context

• Deputy Chief Constable Jonathan Roy (NPCC led, Pre-charge bail)
• Professor Ed Cape (University of West of England)

12.30-13.15     Lunch

13.15-14.45     Reflections on current practice

• Magdalene Allen (Head of Pre-charge Bail and Police Performance Policy, Home Office)
• Rachel Horman Brown (Director and Solicitor and Head of Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Force Marriage department, Watson Ramsbottom and Chair of Paladin)
• Nogah Ofer (Centre for Women’s Justice)
• Libby Potten (Standards and Policy Lead, Engagement and Implementation and Policing Standards Manager – Criminal Justice, College of Policing)

14.45-15.45     Panel discussion: designing a fair, effective and workable pre-charge bail process

• Magdalene Allen, Ed Cape, Rachel Horman Brown, Anthea Hucklesby, Libby Potten, Nogah Ofer, Jonathan Roy

15.45-16.00     Closing remarks

This event is free and in-person only. Please register to secure your place.