Criminal, Traffic & Corporate Regulatory
Getting out on bail will depend on the issues and circumstances of your case. In the vast majority of cases, bail will be granted by the court but it will depend on:
In Queensland, with the exception of more serious or extraordinary offences, there is a presumption in favour of bail. Police do not have to arrest you to charge you with a criminal offence. They can issue what is called a “Notice to Appear”, which requires that you come before a court on a nominated date to face a charge. Once you are before the court, the Magistrate will deal with your bail application, and in the majority of cases, will release you on bail, subject to conditions and pending the hearing of your case.
If you are arrested by the police, they can release you on bail immediately but, if they don’t, they are required to bring you promptly before a Magistrate Court so that you can make an application for bail.
If you are refused bail by the police and the Magistrate you will be held in custody until the charges against you are finally dealt with or you can get bail, either by a magistrate or from a higher court.
You can make a formal application to the Supreme Court to be granted bail. It is not at all unusual for the Supreme Court to grant bail even after the police and Magistrate have refused bail. In some very serious and exceptional cases, however, you will need to demonstrate to the court why your detention in custody is not justified.
If the Supreme Court refuses you bail, you can apply again, but you may be required to show a material change of circumstances as to why bail should now be granted.
If you breach any condition of your bail you can be charged with an offence under the Queensland Bail Act 1980. If convicted, you will face a maximum of two years imprisonment on that charge alone.
If you breach your bail by failing to appear in court, as required by the bail order, the court can automatically cancel your bail and any money or other security lodged for the bail may be forfeited.
If someone is a surety for your bail and you don’t appear, the court can order that person to pay the security sum to the court. If the surety fails to pay, the court can actually imprison the surety for up to two years.
If you fail to appear and bail is breached, provided you can satisfy the court that you had a reasonable cause for not appearing and you appeared as soon as you could, then that is a complete defence to any breach charge. If it was just an honest mistake usually the court will treat you relatively leniently.
Nyst Legal is not a Legal Aid firm. We do not take on matters funded by the Legal Aid Office.
Nyst Legal charges a competitive rate for an excellent service, and our legal team, consisting of experienced lawyers, provides an early estimate of costs for each stage of your matter. The law in Queensland requires us to disclose information relating to a range of things, particularly legal fees, how they are calculated, how they are charged, and how they are billed. Prospective clients will be provided with a Queensland Law Society Client Agreement, which sets out all of these items in detail. Our experienced lawyers are committed to transparency and clarity, ensuring you are fully informed and comfortable with the financial aspects of your legal representation.
Bail Applications, Magistrates Courts – Fixed Fee: $1,000 – $3,000
Bail applications in the Magistrates and District Courts will vary in complexity but can usually be handled for a fixed fee ranging from $1,000 to $3,000, depending on the circumstances of the case and the court location, and fees will be advised and agreed in advance.
Bail Applications, Supreme Court
Bail applications in the Supreme Courts are invariably more complex, but can sometimes be handled for a fixed fee, depending on the level of complexity, and our fees will be advised and agreed in advance. Where it is not possible to fix such fees we will charge at an hourly rate.
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