If you get arrested

If you are arrested for a suspected offence, you should first consider getting advice from a solicitor or other legal advisor. It is important that you tell police if you want to do this, as legal aid may be available to help you.

Police may charge you with an offence and may either release you on police bail or detain you, bringing you before a court as soon as possible. Depending on the nature of the offence, you may be able to apply for bail.

Your agreement to enter into bail (called a recognizance) is simply your promise that you will not abscond and will turn up for your hearing at court. If you do not turn up for your hearing, the Magistrate may issue a warrant to police to find and arrest you and have you brought to court. You may also have to pay money for breaching your bail conditions by not turning up for court. Another person may also be required to guarantee that you will turn up, and if you fail to do so, that person (called a ‘surety’) may also have to pay a sum of money because of you breaking your promise to attend court.

If you have been charged with an offence which is serious or it is felt that you may not turn up for your trial, you may be “remanded in custody.” This means that you will be kept in prison and required to appear in court. This could either be in person, or using a system known as “live link” closed circuit television. The police investigation will continue until a decision has been made by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) either to prosecute or not to prosecute you for the offence.