An Observational Study of Bail Decision-Making

Abstract

Pre-trial detention of defendants has important legal, human rights and practical implications for defendants, their families, and society and therefore the area justifies research scrutiny. However, there is a dearth of empirical studies of bail decision-making and most of them have been retrospective studies. Prior studies have nevertheless identified a number of purported shortcomings in bail legislation and decision-making. The rarely used observational methodology employed in this study provided data that are not normally available from official records. The first appearances of 648 defendants were observed in the lower courts in metropolitan Perth (Western Australia) to identify factors that play a significant role in bail decision-making and to collect baseline data for a longitudinal study. Legal factors made a significant contribution to the bail decision, while extra-legal factors did not

Performing Impartiality: Judicial Demeanor and Legitimacy

“…In all but three sessions, transcripts or audio tapes of the proceedings were provided at a later date. The combination of all these elements in the research design maximizes the validity and reliability of the research findings and is consistent with methodology in other court observation research (Mileski 1971, 475–77; Sarat 1977, 389–90; La Trobe University Legal Studies Department 1980, 28–34; Conley and O'Barr 1990, 30–33; Philips 1998, 3–7; Ptacek 1999, 185; Allan et al. 2005, 322–23; Hunter 2005, 233).…”

Trato procesal y uso de la detención preventiva en una muestra de audiencias de control de garantías en Bogotá y Cali

“…La defensa puede controvertir cualquiera de estos puntos. Una vez presentados estos argumentos, el juez imparte una decisión de legalidad o ilegalidad 1 . La siguiente audiencia "concentrada" es la de formulación de imputación.…”

Sureties as Civilian Jailers: Understanding the Role of the Court in the Lives of Accused Released on Surety Bail in Ontario

“…For this study, qualitative data were collected via in-court observation in a mid-sized Ontario jurisdiction about an hour outside of Toronto. Although court observation can be timeconsuming, Allan et al (2005) argue it is beneficial in that it allows for the collection of rich information pertaining to interactions among court officials and decision-making outcomes. Unlike existing aggregate data or courtroom transcripts, observational research provides an opportunity to examine factors that influence surety suitability from the perspective of bail court participants.…”