4. Know what happens if you don’t follow your bail
Question & Answer
What are bail conditions?It is important that you understand the conditions you're being asked to follow. You must follow every condition of your .
What the police can do
If you don't follow your bail conditions, you can be and criminally charged with failing to comply with your bail This is also called a breach of bail conditions.
The police can issue a warrant for your arrest if:
- they have to believe you did not follow your bail conditions, or
- your has decided they no longer want to act as surety for you.
If this happens, when you're arrested, you will be held in for another . At the bail , you will have to show the court why you should be released while your criminal matters are being considered by the courts.
Being charged with “ with ” can mean:
- it may be more difficult for you to get bail in the future,
- if you're charged with another criminal in the future, the Crown will be less likely to release you on bail; they will probably ask that you be instead
- it will be less likely that you'll be allowed to use the .
Section 524 application
The Crown may make a Section 524 application to the court. This is also known as a bail revocation application. If the application is approved, your original bail will be cancelled and the new bail hearing will be about all of your outstanding charges: the first offence, the second offence, and the failure to comply with your recognizance . This will make it more difficult for you to be released on bail.
Surety relief
Your surety can revoke or cancel your bail at any time. Your surety does not need a reason to cancel your bail, but they may decide to cancel your bail if they believe:
- you have already not followed a condition of your bail, or
- you're not going to follow a condition of your bail in the future.
If this happens, a surety warrant will be issued for your . If a has been issued for your arrest, you should:
- contact a lawyer as soon as possible
- find someone else who can act as your surety and ideally meet the same terms as your previous surety, and
- turn yourself in as soon as possible.
