Remand (and custody time limits)

Being held in custody, or released on bail, between court hearings before trial or sentence. Time on remand in custody counts towards any sentence.

Remand describes what happens to a defendant between court hearings: they are either remanded on bail or remanded in custody. People remanded in custody are held in prison, or for most under-18s in youth detention accommodation, while they wait for trial or sentence. Custody time limits restrict how long someone can be held before trial, for example normally 56 days before a summary trial and 182 days between being sent to the Crown Court and the start of trial, unless a court extends the limit because the prosecution has acted with due diligence and there is good reason. If a limit expires, the defendant must be released on bail. Days spent on remand in custody normally count towards any prison sentence later imposed, and time on a qualifying tagged curfew counts partly. A fresh bail application can be made if circumstances change.

Checked as at 25 September 2026. General information only, not legal advice.