What is "police bail"

HurdyGurdy

When the news reports that someone is released "on police bail", what exactly is it?

My understanding of bail is only that someone "pledges" a sum of money which is taken to ensure that the accused person doesn't disappear and is not able to be prosecuted for whatever offence they are accused of. If the accused person does disappear, the person who had pledged the money forfeits it (to who?).

I can't imagine that the police have a stash of cash they use for "police bail", so what do they do instead?

Wyre

It means that the person has to comply with certain conditions in return they are released. It could be to report to the police station once or more a day or week, not to go to certain places etc whilst the police continue their inquiries.

rising_from_the_ashes

AFAIK - the person won't have been formally charged and is therefore released with certain conditions attached (like Wyre mentions)

Tiddlywinks

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/crimejusticeandthelaw/beingstoppedorarrestedbythepolice/dg_196030

browneyedbazzi

As mentioned above, police bail in the UK is not like what you see on american tv where money is held to ensure the person attends court etc. Police bail just means you are released from custody with some conditions - sometimes the only condition is that you re-attend the police station on a specified date but in other cases conditions are lengthy and dictate where you can live, a curfew, people you can't associate with, places you can't go etc. Breaching bail conditions is an offence so if you don't stick to them you can be arrested and have to answer charges in court.

HurdyGurdy

Thank you all

Yorkie1

One minor correction - there is no offence of breaching one's bail conditions. You can be arrested but there is no subsequent charge / conviction. The only consequence for police bail would either be more stringent conditions or an accelerated decision to charge on a lower interim standard of proof, and detention for the court to decide on whether the individual should be remanded in custody pending trial etc.