Bail ruling ‘will let murderers free’ as police given just 96 hours to charge
Thousands of violent criminals could go free without facing charges after a High Court ruling which shook the British justice system to its foundations.
Suspects will now have to be charged within 96 hours of their arrest, much to the dismay of police, politicians and human rights campaigners.
It will end the long-established practice of releasing suspects on bail until investigations are complete and then charging them weeks or months later.
Police admitted they were panicking ‘like headless chickens’ over the judgment which could affect 85,000 people on bail.
Home secretary Theresa May conceded it was ‘a matter of great concern’.
Until now, suspects could be bailed indefinitely. But, in April, a district judge in Salford cast doubt on its legality by refusing to allow police to keep detaining murder suspect Peter Hookway six months on from his first arrest.
Yesterday, it emerged the High Court has backed the ruling and refused Greater Manchester police leave to appeal. Officers would now need new evidence to come to light to justify re-arresting a suspect after releasing them from bail after 96 hours.
Sir Norman Bettison, chief constable of West Yorkshire, said: ‘We are running round like headless chickens, wondering what this means to the nature of justice.’
Civil rights group Liberty said police ‘should be allowed to bail suspects for more than 96 hours’. But prisoners’ campaigner Mark Leech said: ‘The current system doesn’t serve victims, it doesn’t serve suspects and it certainly doesn’t serve the public.’
Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/867887-bail ... z1Qt3kuv8D
