Bail legislation - McDowell glosses over system flaws

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell contends that our legislative provisions for the granting of bail are very stringent. Our system of justice assumes that people charged with crimes are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Denying bail to people before they have been convicted is, to a degree, a perversion of our system of justice.

The 16th Amendment of the Constitution, passed in November 1996, allows a court to refuse bail to a person charged with a serious offence where it is reasonably considered necessary to prevent the commission of a serious crime by that person.