When can you be released on bail?
- If you are involved in Police investigations or criminal proceedings in Court, you may need attend at a Police station to assist with investigations or to attend Court to face formal criminal charges at a later date.
- Bail can be offered in the following situations: –
- Police Bail is granted if you have been suspected of committing a criminal offence and you are currently assisting in investigations conducted by the Police or an investigation or enforcement agency such as the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), Commercial Affairs Department (CAD), Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) and Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
- Court bail is granted to if you have been charged with a criminal offence in Court and you are currently involved in the criminal proceedings in Court.
- In order to ensure that you do attend at a Police station or Court as and when required, a sum of money needs to be provided as a security to obtain your release from the custody of the Police or the Court. This money is known as bail.
- The person who promises or undertakes to pay the sum of money if you fail to appear before the Police or Court is known as the surety or bailor. More than one surety may be required if the bail required is of a large amount.
- In most situations, an accused person in criminal proceedings cannot be his own bailor unless the Court otherwise allows.
- However, there are some situations where the Police may allow a suspect to pay for his own security by can making a personal bond or undertaking by himself by instead without the need for a separate
- After bail has been granted to you, you may only leave Singapore with the permission of the Police / enforcement agency or the Court. Both the bailor and you must be present if and when an application is made to the Court for permission to travel overseas. The Court will generally increase the bail amount as a condition of allowing you to travelling overseas.
- If you fail to present yourself as and when required, a Warrant of Arrest may be issued against you. Where Court bail has been granted, the bailor will also have to attend a hearing to give reasons to the Court why the full amount of the bail should not be forfeited.
