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What Happens When Bail Ends in the UK?

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If the police are investigating you for a crime, they may decide to release you on pre-charge bail (more commonly referred to as being released on bail). This can be a confusing situation and leave you with plenty of questions about what will happen further down the line.

It is important to understand what bail involves and what you can expect once the bail period ends, especially if the police are conducting an investigation and have invited you to an interview under caution.

We explain the bail process in detail below, including everything you can expect to happen once the bail period expires and the potential consequences of being subject to bail.

While we hope this information is useful, please note that it should not be taken as legal advice. If you need detailed advice about your case, please get in touch, and our team will be able to help.

What is bail?

Bail, or pre-charge bail, is one option the police have after an arrest or after conducting a voluntary interview. The law currently encourages the police to place individuals under pre-charge bail where necessary and appropriate instead of releasing them under investigation.

If you are released on bail, it means that the police are not ready to make a charging decision and that the case remains open. After being released on bail, you will usually be subject to various bail ‘conditions’ such as being required to attend the police station at certain times or being prevented from visiting certain locations.

While you are on bail, the police will continue investigating your case and assessing any evidence that has been collected.

How long can you be on bail without being charged in the UK?

Following significant changes to the systems of pre-charge bail and released under investigation, standard cases have an initial bail period of three months.

In addition to this initial three-month period, the police can issue two further extensions by the police before going to the Magistrates’ for two types of extensions:

  • By 3 to 6 months from the bail start date by an inspector
  • By 6 to 9 months from the bail start date by a superintendent

In standard cases designated as exceptionally complex (i.e., they will have already been subject to the second extension above), or in non-standard cases, bail can be extended by up to 12 months from the bail start date before appearing before a Magistrates court.

What happens after three months on bail?

After the three-month bail period ends, the police can decide to apply for an extension to the bail period, charge you with a crime or release you without charge.

What happens after bail ends?

After bail comes to an end, what happens next will depend on the direction of your case. If the police take no further action, any legal restrictions imposed on you will be lifted, and you will be able to continue your normal routine.

In serious cases, the police may decide to take no further action but reopen proceedings at a later date if more evidence is revealed.

If you are charged with an offence by the police, you will be due to appear in court. Here, it is vital that you work alongside an experienced criminal defence solicitor, who will be able to advise you accordingly.

What happens when you return to the police station after bail?

If you are called back to the police station at the end of your bail period, the police will either charge you with an offence or release you without charge. You can also be released under investigation.

What should you do if you are on bail?

If you have been released on bail, it is important to remember that your case is still open, and you could still be charged with an offence. While on bail, you will need to comply with any conditions that have been imposed and be ready to attend the police station at any stage.

While on bail, it is crucial that you speak to a specialist criminal defence solicitor as soon as possible. At JD Spicer Zeb, our expert team can work alongside you to assess your personal circumstances and the charges you are facing, offering tailored advice about the steps you need to take. This includes guidance on what will happen if the police decide to charge you with an offence.

With over 45 years of experience in handling the full spectrum of criminal offences, we are well-positioned to advise you on the specifics of your case and what must be done to achieve the best possible outcome.

We are highly skilled at dealing with all forms of evidence that are relied on in criminal law cases, including digital evidence and witness testimony. This means that we have all of the necessary tools to build a strong defence case and the ability to identify any flaws in the case against you.

We have been accredited by the Law Society for Criminal Litigation. This, as well as our extensive experience, means that we can demonstrate a strong track record of previous success. Over the years, we have also been able to establish strong relationships with many of the country’s leading criminal defence barristers.

Related matters

We provide support and guidance on various related matters, including:

Fees and funding

We always want to make sure that you clearly understand your options when it comes to funding.

Legal aid may be available for your case, depending on whether it passes a means test and whether the grant of public funding is justified.

Where you do not qualify for legal aid, the alternative will be to fund the case on a private basis.

To find out more about the way we handle fees (both legal aid public funding and private fees), please use the links provided below:

Contact our criminal defence lawyers today

If you have attended the police station and have been subsequently placed on bail and require any urgent specialist advice or immediate representation, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

You can contact our dedicated criminal defence lawyers in London, Birmingham, and Manchester by telephone at:

Or email: solicitors@jdspicer.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can fill out our quick online enquiry form, and we will get back to you quickly.

24/7 legal representation

We are available to represent clients all over England and Wales at any time, so please contact our Emergency Number at 07836 577 556.

How can we help?

Common questions

We always work with the most experienced and best leading UK barristers, KCs (Kings Counsel). We cover all criminal cases 24/7 at the police station and court. Offices in London, Birmingham, and Manchester cover cases across England and Wales. We can offer Legal Aid and affordable Private fee agreements. We can see you the same day, including virtually. Our Senior Partners supervise all of our cases.

How quickly do you respond?

We respond quickly even during out of hours. We do not get our work by paying for online adverts but based on the fact that few criminal law firms can match our 45 years of experience. Most of our cases are still from word-of-mouth recommendations from satisfied clients. We are called daily by dissatisfied clients from firms with less experience than us. We respond very quickly to new enquiries. We know what clients seek and so we update clients rapidly.

Can you get cases dropped?

Yes, read about the recent cases we've helped our clients with here.

We always keep you updated and give straightforward advice. We will get cases dropped early where the case is weak or should not be prosecuted. We will be upfront with you about where you can benefit from a good result with an early guilty plea, such as a discount on your sentence. As we work on cases across all levels with clients from all walks of life, we are excellent at giving clear, spot-on advice. As an established firm, we can allocate a whole team to your case often at short notice to secure evidence to minimise the damage to you. 

Have you won any awards?

OUR PROFESSIONAL BODY THE LAW SOCIETY AWARDED US IN OCTOBER 2020 WITH THE EXCELLENCE IN CLIENT SERVICE AWARD AND STATED - 

"JD Spicer Zeb demonstrated a clear commitment to client service through their work with vulnerable and diverse individuals in what can be severely traumatic circumstances".

Do you offer free consultations?

Where it is possible, we aim to provide an initial consultation to you. If we can speak to you, we can if required inform you about  –

  • Whether we can take the case on and our relevant experience.
  • Public and private funding benefits.
  • Assistance in applying for legal aid where we are likely to accept instructions.
  • An outline of options in police interview only. We will not advise you on which option to adopt.
  • Providing our free written guide explaining the police station process.
  • The gravity of routine and day-to-day offences you face.
  • Consequences of not attending the court or police station.
  • Consequences of interfering with any witnesses.
  • Retaining any evidence in support of your case.
  • If possible an outline of the elements of the offence that the police or CPS must prove.
  • This consultation will normally be by telephone or email and will only be for as long as we deem necessary to establish if we can act for you. If we cannot usefully give you any advice in this manner then we will not continue with the consultation. We will not discuss the case in depth for you to be able to decide on your plea or any significant aspect of the case, as this cannot be undertaken informally.
  • Referring you, if possible, to other firms for matters out of our specialism or if we cannot help.

Consultations do not apply to the following cases –

  • If we do not intend to take the case on.
  • Road Traffic cases, drink driving, drug driving, driving bans, speeding, no insurance, mobile phone use, points etc.
  • In all cases where we do not have the capacity to take your case or the availability of suitably qualified staff to provide an initial free consultation. This is applicable in all cases but especially where a more senior lawyer is required because of your personal needs or the complexity of the case.
  • Harassment/stalking/ coercive behaviour/malicious communications or road traffic cases and most sensitive cases. These cases are often too complicated to assess in short consultations.
  • The locations concerned may be too distant to represent you adequately or it may not be cost-effective for you or us.
  • The case is too complicated to assess or raises various charges or facts, complexity, or history to be considered informally or in a short consultation.
  • In most Legal aid transfers where legal aid is granted to another firm except in very grave cases, we may assess the case and merits for a transfer.
  • If your relationship has broken down with your existing solicitor or several solicitors.
  • If you have been released under investigation and have already had a police station attendance. 
  • If you hold legal aid with another firm and seek a second opinion.
  • If you are calling on behalf of the client as a friend or family member unless you have full authority and full facts.
  • To businesses.
  • Advising whether you were given good advice by your other solicitor.
  • Whether to decide to plead guilty or not guilty.
  • Whether you have an arguable defence in law or factually complicated defences.
  • Any advice you have had after your first court appearance.
  • Any advice on appeal on conviction or sentence.
  • If we feel we are unable to communicate with you.
  • If we are likely to be conflicted or breach our professional rules.