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| 28-day police bail limit proposed for England and Wales | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The time people can be put on pre-charge police bail could be limited to 28 days, the home secretary has said. | |
| Revealing the proposal, Theresa May said it "cannot be right that people can spend months or even years on pre-charge bail with no oversight". | |
| The limit could be extended in exceptional circumstances through a court application, she said. | |
| It follows high-profile cases where suspects have been placed on bail for long periods but never charged. | |
| The proposal forms part of a consultation paper published by the Home Office setting out potential changes that would result in "the greatest reform of that legislation" in 30 years, Mrs May said. | |
| 'Statutory time limit' | |
| Proposals include revising the Police and Criminal Evidence Act so suspects under investigation can be released without bail. | |
| Mrs May also proposed measures to increase co-operation between the police and other public sector organisations so evidence can be obtained more quickly. | |
| She told MPs the government was "determined" to support police, but said the plans would reduce the number of people subjected to pre-charge police bail and the average time spent on bail. | |
| "That is why we launched a review to fundamentally re-examine the way pre-charge bail is used and authorised", Mrs May said. | |
| "I encourage people to share their views and help shape these reforms." |