Operating Bail: Decision-making Under the Bail, etc. (Scotland Act) 1980 - Tapa blanda

Bail is a subject about which there has been increasing anxiety in recent years. This is the report of a detailed study of how bail legislation is being operated in Scotland. The research was commissioned by the Scottish Office Home and Health Department and was carried out by researchers from the Scottish Office Central Research Unit. The researchers observed the working practices of the criminal justice system and looked at the pressures on each part - police, prosecutors and courts - as it carries out its task in assessing whether people should be released or kept in custody before trial or before sentence. The results of this study raise questions about the implications of different policies and practices for the future operation of bail. The practices which lie behind bail abuse statistics are examined and the report challenges the belief that the current level of bail abuse is a sign that the criminal justice system is not working effectively.