ACTIn ForceAct
Bail Act 1992
9DBail for serious offence committed while charge for
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Turn the raw legal text into a practical explanation grounded in Bail Act 1992.
9D Bail for serious offence committed while charge for
another pending or outstanding
(a) a person is accused of a serious offence; and
(b) the person is alleged to have committed the offence while a
charge against the person for another serious offence is pending
or outstanding.
Example
Claude is served with a summons to attend the Magistrates Court to answer a charge
that he has committed the offence of taking a motor vehicle without consent
(punishable by 5 years imprisonment under the Criminal Code, section 318 (1), and
so a serious offence for this section). Before the court date, Claude is arrested and
charged with having committed an aggravated robbery the day after being served
with the summons (punishable by 25 years imprisonment under the Criminal Code,
section 310, and so also a serious offence for this section). At the time of the alleged
aggravated robbery, the charge of taking a motor vehicle without consent was still
pending. This section will apply to any decision about the grant of bail to Claude in
relation to the aggravated robbery charge.
(2) A court or an authorised officer must not grant bail to the accused
person unless satisfied that special or exceptional circumstances exist
favouring the grant of bail.
(3) However, even if special or exceptional circumstances are
established, the court or officer must refuse bail if satisfied that
refusal is justified after considering—
(4) Also, if the serious offence mentioned in subsection (1) (a) or (b) is a
family violence offence, an authorised officer must not grant bail to
the accused person if satisfied that refusal of bail is required under
section 9F (Family violence offence—bail by authorised officer).
(5) This section does not affect the application of section 9F (4) and (5)
to the accused person if—
(a) the serious offence mentioned in subsection (1) (a) or (b) is a
family violence offence; and
(b) an authorised officer grants bail to the accused person.
outstanding—a charge against a person for an offence is
outstanding—
(a) until the charge is finally dealt with in any of the following
ways:
(i) the charge is withdrawn;
(ii) the charge is dismissed by a court;
(iii) the person is discharged by the Magistrates Court
following a committal hearing;
(iv) the person is acquitted or found guilty by a court of the
(b) if the person is acquitted or found guilty by a court of the offence
charged, but a new trial on the charge (or a charge based on the
same facts) is later ordered on appeal—from the date the new
trial is ordered until the earliest of the following happens—
(i) the charge (or a charge based on the same facts) is finally
dealt with as mentioned in paragraph (a) (i), (ii) or (iv);
(ii) the order for the new trial is reversed on a further appeal.
Note Found guilty, of an offence, includes—
• having an order made for the offence under the Crimes (Sentencing)
Act 2005, s 17 (Non-conviction orders—general)
• having the offence taken into account under the Crimes (Sentencing)
Act 2005, s 57 (Outstanding additional offences taken into account
in sentencing)
(see Legislation Act, dict, pt 1).
pending—a charge against a person for a serious offence is pending
if the person has not yet been charged with the offence, but the person
has—
(a) been arrested for the offence (unless the person is later released
without being charged with a serious offence); or
(b) been served with a summons to appear before a court to answer
a charge for the offence; or
(c) at the invitation of a police officer, signed an agreement to attend
court to answer a charge for the offence.
serious offence means an offence punishable by imprisonment for
5 years or longer (other than an offence in relation to which an
election for summary disposal has been made under the Crimes
Act 1900, section 374 (Summary disposal of certain cases at
prosecutor’s election)).