Chapter 10 - Bail Flashcards
BAIL
Overview
1) General principles on bail
2) Bail pending trial
3) Bail pending appeal
4) Quantum & conditions of bail
5) Execution of bail
6) Bailors
7) Appeal against bail decisions
8) Bail under Child Act
GENERAL PRINCIPLES ON BAIL
Overview
1) Meaning of bail
2) Purpose of bail
3) Whether decision for bail is appealable
4) Types of bail
GENERAL PRINCIPLES ON BAIL
Meaning of bail
Yusof bin Mohamed v PP:
- Bail means security taken from a person to appear on a fixed date before a court;
- To set free a person who is under arrest, detention or some kind of restraint.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES ON BAIL
Purpose of bail
Mohamad Jalil bin Abdullah & Anor v PP:
- To secure an attendance of the accused person, at a certain day and place to answer the charge against him.
- Bail should not be withheld as punishment.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES ON BAIL
Whether bail decision is appealable
1) Appeal - PP v DSAI:
- the matter of “bail” is made pending the trial, and extraneous or irrelevant to the issues to be determined in the main case, therefore is not appealable in Court of Appeal as it does not finally dispose of the rights of the parties with regards to the main issue.
2) New application - Michael Lee v PP:
- There can be new application for bail (instead of appealing against refusal to grant bail), provided that the consideration of the court on the reapplication should touch on a material change of circumstances & not the circumstances which were considered in the previous application.
3) Application via revision:
- S.323;
- S.325.
4) Appeal via notice of motion:
- To CA: r.72 RCA;
- To FC: r.102 RFC.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES ON BAIL
Types of bail
1) Bail pending trial - bail granted pending disposal of the case.
2) Bail pending appeal - bail granted pending disposal of appeal or known as stay of execution.
BAIL PENDING TRIAL
Overview
1) Classification of offences
2) Bail for bailable offence
3) Bail for non-bailable offence
4) Bail for unbailable offence
5) Bail under SOSMA
BAIL PENDING TRIAL
Classification of offences
1) Bailable offence:
- S.2(1) + First Schedule
2) Non-bailable offence:
- S.2(1) + First Schedule
3) Unbailable offence:
- S.12 FIPA
- S.41B DDA
BAIL FOR BAILABLE OFFENCES
Overview
1) The law & scope
2) Whether bail is mandatory
3) Qualifications for bail entitlement
4) Bail & remand
5) Additional conditions
6) Address for service
7) Revocation of bail for bailable offence
BAIL FOR BAILABLE OFFENCES
The law & scope
1) The law:
- S.387
2) Scope:
-
BAIL FOR BAILABLE OFFENCES
Whether bail is mandatory
1) Trite - Mohd Jalil bin Abdullah v PP:
- “shall be release” on bail is mandatory.
- entitled to bail as a matter of right NOT A FAVOUR.
- no question of any discretion in granting bail.
2) Recent - Chew Xing Jie v PP (HC, 2020):
- the term ‘shall be released on bail in section 387 (1) of the CPC is mandatory.
- By virtue of this provision a person accused of a bailable offence is entitled to bail as of right.
BAIL FOR BAILABLE OFFENCES
Qualifications of entitlement of bail
Wong Kim Woon v PP:
- must be prepared to post bail or furnish the requisite sureties or securities.
- remand provision under S.117 must not be invoked;
- wherever terms of bail are breached, there is power to revoke or cancel the bail originally granted.
BAIL FOR BAILABLE OFFENCES
Bail & remand
1) The law:
- Bail: S.387
- Remand: S.117
2) Which one will prevail - Maja Anak Kus v PP:
- If S.117 is invoked & the Magistrate ordered a further detention, S.117 will prevail over S.387.
- i.e. no bail while the suspect is in remand.
BAIL FOR BAILABLE OFFENCES
Additional bail conditions
1) trite - PP v Dato’ Mat:
- No additional conditions may be imposed when the accused is released on a bail for charge for bailable offences.
2) recent application - Chew Xing Jie v PP (HC, 2020):
- Where an accused is entitled to bail as of right (as is in this case) there is no discretion to refused bail and the question of imposing conditions does not arise.
- therefore, the conditions imposed by the learned Magistrate, specifically the surrender of the applicant’s passport and reporting at the nearest police station is annulled (dibatalkan ).
- the passport of applicant shall be returned and that the applicant is not required to report at the nearest police station.
- The amount of bail RM 3000 with one (1) Malaysian surety to remain.
BAIL FOR BAILABLE OFFENCES
Address for service
S.436.
BAIL FOR BAILABLE OFFENCES
Revocation of bail for bailable offence
1) Fresh bail must be granted - Mohd Jalil bin Abdullah v PP
- Upon revocation of the bail, he should have granted a new bail with sufficient sureties as he deemed fit.
- Only if they fail to execute it, then the court is empowered to commit them to custody.
- However bad the record of the accused may be, they are still entitled to bail as a matter of right, and magistrate cannot refuse bail and commit them to custody.
- The Magistrate is wrong for not granting a new or fresh bail with increased quantum or more onerous conditions as he deemed fit when he revoked the previous bail.
2) Revoke the bail & no fresh bail shall be granted - Wong Kim Woon v PP:
- The fact the accused had breached the bail order is prima facie a valid reason for cancellation or revocation, unless he has a good explanation.
- Thus, the accused MUST be given an opportunity to be heard & explained of his breach.
- There is no obligation that the court MUST extend the bail which has previously been breached - it all depends on facts & circumstances.
- The primary objective of bail is to ensure attendance. - Where there has been a breach of the terms of the bail, there cannot be any other consequence consistent with due administration of justice than that bail be ended, whether by revocation or cancellation.
- It cannot be said there is an exercise of an inherent jurisdiction.
- There is no contravention of s. 387 of the CPC for the revocation since bail has been granted, and a cancellation or revocation is simply a consequence of a breach of its terms.
- Specific statutory power to cancel or revoke bail in such circumstances is unnecessary.
BAIL FOR NON-BAILABLE OFFENCE
Overview
1) The law, scope & etc
2) Exercise of discretion
3) Type 1 accused - no reasonable ground
4) Type 2 accused - there is reasonable ground to believe
5) Type 3 accused - there is reasonable ground but he is either child / woman / sick.
BAIL FOR NON-BAILABLE OFFENCE
The law, scope & etc
1) The law:
- S.388
2) Scope - Inspector Yusof Haji Othman v Kwan Hung Cheong:
- It is lawful for the police to issue a police bail under S.388 against the accused person who had been released by a magistrate after detention under S.117.
- S.388 assists the police & empowers the police to release the accused person on police bail;
- This is so while the investigation is still in progress.
3) Address for service:
- S.436
4) EMD Requirement:
- S.388A;
- S.390A;
- S.390B;
- S.390C;
BAIL FOR NON-BAILABLE OFFENCE
Exercise of discretion
1) General - exercise of discretion - P v Latchemy:
- the court’s discretion must be exercised sparingly and judiciously.
- bail should only be granted where the reasons put forward for its grant are exceptional and very special reasons.
2) Scope - PP v Dato’ Balwant Singh (No. 1):
- bail may be granted at the discretion of court for non-bailable offences.
- bail shall not be granted for offences with death or life imprisonment if there appears reasonable grounds to believe that the accused is guilty of such offences.
even if there are reasonable grounds, bail can be granted at the discretion of the court. - Where an application for bail is made in case punishable with death or life imprisonment:
(1) Court must first determine if the proviso is applicable.
(2) Where the proviso applies, the accused is not entitled to bail as of right but only at the discretion of court as this is a case of non-bailable offences.
(3) The resultant matter is whether the court should exercise its discretion and grant bail.
TYPE 1 ACCUSED - NO REASONABLE ACCUSED
Overview
1) The law & scope
2) Factors for consideration
3) Additional considerations
4) Appellate interference
TYPE 1 ACCUSED - NO REASONABLE ACCUSED
The law & scope
1) The law:
- S.388(1)
- S.388(2)
2) Scope - Wee Swee Siang v PP:
- The primary consideration for bail is to ensure the presence of the accused to stand his trial, and bail should not be refused lightly.
- In the event that there is no strong grounds to believe that he is guilty, he should be granted bail.
TYPE 1 ACCUSED - NO REASONABLE ACCUSED
Factors for consideration
1) Wee Swee Siang v PP:
- Whether there was or was not reasonable ground for believing the accused guilty of the offence, i.e. could have supplied some information by affidavit.
- The nature and gravity of the offence charged.
- The severity and degree of punishment that might follow.
- The danger of the accused absconding if released on bail.
- His character, means and standing (i.e. whether the accused is violent).
- The danger of the offence being continued or repeated.
- The danger of the witnesses being tampered with.
2) PP v DSAI:
- mere allegations that the accused, if release, will intimidate the witness is insufficient reason to refuse bail.
- some material of evidence must be put in support to substantiate the allegation. .
TYPE 1 ACCUSED - NO REASONABLE ACCUSED
Additional considerations
Che Sue bte Daud v PP:
- The opportunity for the accused to prepare for defence;
- The character, means and standing of the accused;
- The long period of detention of the accused and probability of further period of delay.
TYPE 1 ACCUSED - NO REASONABLE ACCUSED
Appellate interference
Wee Swee Siang v PP:
- High Court will not lightly interfere with the exercise of discretion vested in the lower Court.
- Where the Sessions Judge refused bail after taking into consideration all the circumstances of the case, the High Court will not interfere with his order.