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The Court of Appeal has brought together several pending appeals challenging aspects of the Bail (Amendment) Act 2024, which changed the bail process for murder charges in Trinidad and Tobago. Under the amendment, persons charged with murder must now prove exceptional circumstances to be granted bail, as the presumption in favour of bail has been removed.

The amendment aimed to restrict bail for those accused of serious offences.

At a hearing on October 27, Justices of Appeal Gillian Lucky, Mira Dean-Armorer and Carla Brown-Antoine noted that the multiple appeals questioned the proper legal test for granting bail in murder cases under the amended act. Lucky said the appellate panels agreed to hear all related appeals together in early 2026 to ensure a consistent judicial approach.