Blunkett to get tough on bail abusers
David Blunkett has announced that he intends to get tough on people who break the terms of their bail.
The Home Secretary, who is set to address the Police Federation Annual Conference today, has unveiled measures that will reverse the provisions of the Bail Act in an effort to crackdown on those who abuse bail.
The tough new stance means that there will be a presumption against bail for individuals who fail to turn up in court or offend while on bail.
The measure is to be reinforced with a drive across criminal justice agencies to target defendants who fail to turn up in court.
Mr Blunkett said: ‘Nearly a quarter of defendants offend while on bail and one in eight fails to turn up in court. This leads to ineffective trials, delays that frustrate victims and witnesses, wasted time and resources and undermines public confidence in the criminal justice system.’
‘We will send a clear signal to those who abuse bail – either by trying to evade justice or by committing crime – that they will risk being imprisoned, whether or not they are convicted of the main offence with which they are charged.’
The Home Secretary believes that the measures will act as a deterrent and impact on the behaviour of defendants.
He also hopes that the changes to the Bail Act, which are being introduced through an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill, will provide an incentive to police to tighten up their efforts and improve the enforcement of court warrants.
Mr Blunkett referred to guidance published by the Court of Appeal and stated that his proposals to enforce custodial sentences on perpetrators of Bail Act offences are supported in the courts.
He said: ‘We must all – Government, police, prosecutors and courts – make it clear that attendance in court is not optional, and that the criminal justice system is serious about dealing effectively with crime and bringing more offenders to justice.’
