More answers needed to understand bail figures fully

CASES where a person is released on bail only to murder, rape or rob are a particular nightmare for the Government.

While it is the courts that decide whether to release a person on bail, it is inevitably the Government that takes the criticism if the individual subsequently commits a crime.

In 2006, it emerged that the number of serious crimes committed by persons on bail was increasing. Unsurprisingly, the issue sparked intense political debate.