Duty lawyer service: Operational policy (2021)
Duty Lawyers will assist you with straight-forward bail applications if you don’t have a lawyer to represented you unless:
it’s a case where the law says it’s up to the defendant to satisfy the judge that they should get bail
you are subject to an order under the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992 or the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act 2003
further enquiries (such as a bail address) are required before bail will be granted and those enquiries are beyond the resources of the Duty Lawyer.
If they cannot provide further help, the Duty Lawyer will assist you to file an urgent Legal Aid application.
Duty Lawyers have limited time for each person they must help. If you make a bail application and it is refused, you cannot make another unless there is a significant change in your circumstances. Sometimes Duty Lawyers will tell you to wait in custody until you have your own lawyer who can take more time to make your bail application (for bail, see the chapter “The criminal courts”).