Supreme Court upholds judge’s bail ruling
The Supreme Court dismisses an application to suspend a judge’s legal ruling over police bail which overturns 25 years of police practice.
The move means the Government will proceed with emergency legislation to reverse a controversial legal ruling on bail.
Under a ruling made by a district judge, Jonathan Finestein, on 5 April 2011, police officers can no longer detain suspects for more than four days without either charging or releasing them.
Judge Finestein refused Greater Manchester Police permission to extend the period for which a man arrested on suspicion of murder in November 2010 could be detained because the 96 hours for which a suspect can be held had expired four days after the original 2010 arrest.
In the process, an interpretation of the law that has prevailed for 25 years was overturned.
Commenting on the development, Sir Norman Bettison, West Yorkshire Police Chief Constable, said: “The issue of putting people on bail for further questioning when they answer their bail is pretty much a dead duck.”