Western Australian Current Acts

BAIL ACT 1982 - SECT 54A

54A .         Accused on committal may be taken for purposes of s. 54 before judicial officer by which committed

        (1)         This section applies to an accused —

            (a)         who has been released on bail following the accused’s committal to the District Court or the Supreme Court to be tried (otherwise than for murder) or sentenced or otherwise dealt with; and

            (b)         who has not made an appearance in that court on the committal; and

            (c)         who, in the opinion of the relevant officer under section 54, should be made to show cause in terms of subsection (1) of that section.

        (2)         The relevant officer may, under section 54, cause an accused to whom this section applies to appear before a judicial officer who is empowered to exercise jurisdiction in the court in which the committal order was made, instead of before an appropriate judicial officer.

        (3)         A judicial officer before whom an accused so appears is to be regarded as an appropriate judicial officer for the purposes of section 54(2).

        (4)         A judicial officer before whom an accused so appears is not obliged to exercise any power conferred by section 55 but may refuse to do so and direct the relevant officer to cause the accused to appear before an appropriate judicial officer.

        (5)         A relevant officer shall comply with a direction given to that officer under subsection (4).

        [Section 54A inserted: No. 6 of 2008 s. 34; amended: No. 29 of 2008 s. 24(6).]