Blog

Undertaking to appear at court

I have been given an undertaking to appear at court. What does this mean?

You may be asked to agree to an undertaking after you have been charged with a criminal offence. An undertaking allows the police to release you from custody, on the basis that you will appear at court at a later date.

The police will provide you with details of the charges, the court date and any conditions attached to the undertaking.

Undertaking conditions both prevent you from acting in a particular way and require you to do certain things. For example, you will always be required to attend court on the date provided to you. However, you might also be prohibited from entering a particular address or from contacting a certain person. If you do not agree to the conditions, you may not be released on an undertaking. In that case, you could be held in police custody before appearing at court the next lawful day.

The consequences can be serious if you fail to adhere to the undertaking. If any of the conditions are breached, a separate prosecution is possible. If you do not appear at court on the date provided, the court will almost certainly grant a warrant for your arrest.

You should contact a solicitor immediately if you have been given a police undertaking. We have a number of highly experienced solicitors ready to ensure that you are given the best possible legal representation.

Contact us today on 0141 331 1144.