ACTIn ForceAct
Bail Act 1992
26Conditions on which bail may be granted to children
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26 Conditions on which bail may be granted to children
(1) The following conditions may be imposed on the grant of bail to a
child—
(a) the conditions mentioned in section 25 (1) (other than a
requirement mentioned in section 25 (4) (e)); and
(b) any other conditions that the court or authorised officer
considers appropriate—
(i) having regard to the principles in the Children and Young
People Act 2008, section 94; and
(ii) considering, as a primary consideration, the best interests
of the child.
(2) Without limiting section 25 (1), the requirements that a child may be
required to comply with about his or her conduct while released on
bail include a requirement that the child—
(a) accept supervision by the director-general under the Children
and Young People Act 2008; and
(b) comply with any reasonable direction of the director-general.
Examples of directions
1 a direction to attend a program
2 a direction to comply with a mental health assessment or treatment order made
by the ACAT
3 a direction to attend drug or alcohol counselling
(3) A court or an authorised officer must, in considering the release on
bail of an accused person who is a child, consider the conditions for
the release of the person that are mentioned in section 25 (1) in the
sequence in which they are mentioned in that subsection.
(4) A court or an authorised officer, in granting bail to an accused person
who is a child—
(a) may not impose a condition referred to in section 25 (1) unless
the court or the authorised officer is of the opinion that the
imposition of the condition is—
(i) necessary to secure 1 or more of the purposes mentioned in
section 25 (6) (a) (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) (the relevant
purposes); or
(ii) in accordance with the principles under the Children and
Young People Act 2008, section 94 (Youth justice
principles); and
(b) may not, except at the request of the accused person, impose a
condition, or a combination of conditions, that puts a greater
obligation on the accused than is—
(i) necessary to secure the relevant purposes; or
(ii) in accordance with the relevant principles.
(5) Section 25 (7) applies in relation to a grant of bail under this section.
(6) If a court or an authorised officer grants bail to an accused person
who is a child on a condition referred to in section 25 (1) and the
accused person satisfies the court or authorised officer that the person
is unable to comply with that condition, the court or authorised officer
must—
(a) refuse bail; or
(b) grant the accused person bail subject to the other conditions
referred to in subsection (1) that the court or authorised officer
believes the accused person will be able to comply with and will
secure the purposes mentioned in subsection (4) (a) (i) and (ii).