Reasons for not attending court

What happens if I don’t turn up to court?

Not turning up to court is one of the most serious ways you can break the rules or 'conditions' of your bail. The court can issue a warrant for your arrest and then order that you be sent to prison for up to two years or order that you pay a fine.

You could also have your bail cancelled which means that you will be locked up or will remain in custody until your next court date and you won’t be able to go home. If you or someone else had promised to give up money or ‘surety’ for your bail, then they may have to pay the amount of money they promised or risk losing their assets.

Get legal advice straight away. You may have a good reason (for example, you had to go to hospital in an emergency), but you need to go to court and explain this as soon as possible. The judge or magistrate will decide if it was a good reason or not. If you do nothing, you could be arrested for not showing up to court.

Get legal advice straight away. Don’t wait to get arrested. If you do nothing, you are likely to be in more trouble.

We know going to court can be scary and you might be worried about being sent to prison. But you still have to go to court. You may be more likely to be sent to prison if you don’t go to court when you are supposed to. If you need support, it’s ok to bring a friend with you.

If you have any questions or concerns, get legal advice.