Bail is back on the political and policy agenda and is once again topical. The high and ever rising prison population has resulted in the government putting in a range of measures in an attempt to reduce the prison remand population. This coupled with several high profile cases involving serious offences committed on bail has resulted in renewed interest in the remand process and how and why remand decisions are made. Commentators are quick to point out the huge gap in knowledge about how the remand process operates. This book aims to fill this void. It is the first book on bail which provides an analysis of the law, policy, procedure and practice based on research findings to be published since the early 1970s. The book brings together current knowledge about bail and draws upon the authors' empirical research conducted into the remand process in England and Wales over a period of 18 years.
The book use concepts and debates primarily from law, criminal justice, criminology, socio-legal studies and the sociology of law. It offers a detailed analysis of the law on bail and its use, remand procedure and highlight how changes in law and procedure have been translated into practice. The book draws on research material from England and Wales and other jurisdictions where available including Australia, Canada, Scotland, Ireland and the United States. This analysis demonstrates how the law relating to bail has converged in a number of jurisdictions and highlights the similarities and differences in its practical operation, as well as contributing to broader theoretical debates relating to criminal justice policy, the operation of the criminal justice process and the role of decision-makers within it.
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