Free guide · Bail

Bail conditions survival guide.

For accused persons on bail in NSW. Curfew, exclusion zones, non-contact, reporting. What each condition means in practice, what to do if you breach, and how a section 49 variation works. Free. No email required.

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What is in the guide.

  1. How bail conditions work. The framework in the Bail Act 2013 (NSW), the unacceptable-risk test, and the kinds of conditions commonly imposed.
  2. Reporting. The most common condition, and the easiest one to trip over. Practical rules, calendar reminders, what to do if you miss.
  3. Curfew. Be where you are supposed to be. Curfew checks, medical emergencies, varying for shift work.
  4. Non-contact and exclusion zones. Direct contact, indirect contact, mapping the boundary, accidental encounters.
  5. If you breach. The next 24 hours, calling your lawyer, what the court will consider.
  6. Varying conditions and review. Section 49 variations and the path to a Supreme Court release application.
  7. The summary. A checklist if you forget everything else.

Why we are giving this away.

Most bail breaches are inadvertent. People miss a reporting day because of a shift change. They breach a curfew by twenty minutes because a train was cancelled. They contact a named person through a third party not realising that counts. The cost of an inadvertent breach is high: a section 79 charge, possible revocation of bail, and the disruption of an already-difficult matter. This guide explains the practical rules in plain English, with citations to the primary source, so that the conditions can be lived with safely until the matter resolves.

There is no email opt-in and no form. Download the PDF. Print a copy. Keep one with your bail acknowledgment. If you are currently on bail and a condition has become unworkable, our phone number is 0421 717 019 and the line is staffed.

Bail condition becoming unworkable?
0421 717 019
Apply to vary before you breach

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Want the longer version?

The companion article on the show-cause regime explains the bail framework at greater length. Read “Show cause in NSW bail” →

This guide is general legal information about New South Wales bail procedure. It is not legal advice for any particular case. The Bail Act 2013 (NSW) changes from time to time. For advice on a real matter, contact us through our contact page or phone 0421 717 019.

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