Am I entitled to bail? How much will my bail sum be?
Whether you are entitled to bail as of right depends on the offence(s) you have been charged with.
a) If you are charged with a bailable offence (under Column 5 of the First Schedule to the Criminal Procedure Code), and are prepared to provide bail, the Court must grant you bail.
b) If you are charged with a non-bailable offence, the Court has the discretion whether to offer you bail. This depends on various factors, including but not limited to (i) the severity of the offence, (ii) whether you are likely to abscond, and (iii) whether you are likely to reoffend or tamper with the witnesses to your case whilst on bail. Even if you have been charged with a non-bailable offence, you will generally be offered bail except in exceptional circumstances.
If you are offered bail, your bailor must be Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident who is at least 21 years old. Your bailor must not be a bankrupt or be facing any pending criminal case in the courts.
Your bail sum is determined by the Court, and depends mainly on the gravity of the offence(s) you have been charged with and whether you are a flight risk. Generally, the more serious the offence(s), the higher the bail sum will be.
The Court will also impose conditions on the bail offered. These may include requiring you to surrender your passport to the Police and restricting you from contacting the victim(s) (if any) or any other witnesses to the case.
In certain circumstances, if you have not yet been charged for any offences, the Police may allow you to post a personal bond instead of requiring someone else to post bail on your behalf.
If you are charged in Court, your bailor must go to the Bail Centre located at the Crime Registry on Level 4 of the State Courts Tower to process the necessary documents. The Bail Centre can be reached at 6587 8423.
If you require more information that are not listed in our articles, or legal advice on a specific matter, please contact us for a free first consultation.