# The Criminal Procedure Rules 2025, Rule 14.20: Application to withhold information from the defendant

Extent: E+W

(1) This rule applies where an application to authorise an extension of pre-charge bail includes an application to withhold information from the defendant.
(2) The applicant must—
(a) omit that information from the part of the application that is served on the defendant;
(b) mark the other part to show that, unless the court otherwise directs, it is only for the court; and
(c) in that other part, explain the grounds for believing that the disclosure of that information would have one or more of the following results—
(i) evidence connected with an indictable offence would be interfered with or harmed,
(ii) a person would be interfered with or physically injured,
(iii) a person suspected of having committed an indictable offence but not yet arrested for the offence would be alerted, or
(iv) the recovery of property obtained as a result of an indictable offence would be hindered.
(3) At any hearing of an application to which this rule applies—
(a) the court must first determine the application to withhold information, in the defendant’s absence and that of any legal representative of the defendant; and
(b) if the court allows the application to withhold information, then in the following sequence—
(i) the court must consider representations first by the applicant and then by the defendant, in the presence of both, and
(ii) the court may consider further representations by the applicant in the defendant’s absence and that of any legal representative of the defendant, if satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for believing that information withheld from the defendant would be disclosed during those further representations.
(4) If the court refuses an application to withhold information from the defendant, the applicant may withdraw the application to authorise an extension of pre-charge bail.
[Note. See sections 47ZH and 47ZI(5), (6), (8) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (withholding sensitive information; proceedings in magistrates’ courts: determination of applications to withhold sensitive information).]

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/909/rule/14.20 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-procedure-rules-2025/rule-14.20
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.