Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to change the policy of making no discharge grant or compensation to remand prisoners acquitted of the offences for which they were remanded.
Answered on
19 September 2017
The decision to remand a defendant in custody is taken by the court under the Bail Act 1976 and is a separate decision to a finding of guilt or innocence. Where the lawful decision to remand a defendant is made and a person subsequently acquitted there is no provision or reason to award compensation.
Remand prisoners discharged at court or from prison after a period of custody on remand are not eligible for a Discharge Grant. Current policy is set out in Prison Service Instruction 72/2011. There are no immediate plans to review the arrangements for remand prisoners in respect of eligibility for payment of a Discharge Grant when acquitted of the offences for which they were remanded.