remand
remand — verb
- remandpresent simple I / you / we / they
- remandshe / she / it
- remandedpast simple
- remanding-ing form
1. a court's decision to send someone facing criminal charges to prison or police c
a court's decision to send someone facing criminal charges to prison or police cells before the trial date, typically to prevent the person from fleeing, re-offending, or pressuring witnesses
Kofi was remanded in custody after being charged with burglary.
passive: be remanded in custody
The magistrate remanded Sivan to police custody for eight days.
Caleb was remanded to HMP Wandsworth to await trial the following month.
The judge decided to remand Walid in custody rather than grant him bail.
After the hearing, the court remanded the fifteen-year-old suspect to a secure youth unit.
- detain
broader term — can refer to any period of holding by police or authorities, not just court-ordered waiting for trial
- commit to custody
more formal, technical phrasing used in British court orders
- hold in custody
describes the resulting state rather than the court process
- release on bail
the opposite court decision — letting the accused leave while awaiting trial
- set free
informal opposite; implies no further restrictions
文法句型
be remanded in custody / to [prison]
remand + noun phrase + to/in
用法筆記
Commonly used in the passive ('be remanded'). The prosecution must apply for a remand if the initial police detention period expires before enough evidence has been gathered to charge the suspect. Distinguish from verb sense 2 (remand on bail), where the accused is released with conditions.
常見錯誤
2. a court's ruling that allows a person facing criminal charges to leave the court
a court's ruling that allows a person facing criminal charges to leave the courthouse instead of being held in prison until the trial, usually after providing a financial deposit to the court or accepting restrictions like a curfew or an electronic monitor
Caio was remanded on bail with a 9 p.m. curfew and an electronic tag.
pattern: be remanded on bail with conditions
The court remanded Greta on bail until the next hearing in March.
Ari was remanded on conditional bail and banned from contacting any witnesses.
Instead of sending her to prison, the judge remanded Reema on bail to await trial.
- release on bail
more general term for allowing an accused person to leave court after paying or agreeing to conditions
- grant bail to
focuses on the court's decision to allow release, not the legal process of remanding
- remand in custody
the opposite decision — sending the accused to prison to await trial
- detain
broader opposite meaning 'keep in prison'
文法句型
be remanded on bail
remand + noun phrase + on bail
用法筆記
Distinguish from verb sense 1: 'remand on bail' means the accused is released, not imprisoned. The full phrase 'remanded on bail' is important because 'remand' alone (without 'on bail') implies custody. Frequently followed by a description of the conditions imposed.
常見錯誤
3. when an appellate court returns a legal matter to the tribunal that originally d
when an appellate court returns a legal matter to the tribunal that originally decided it, instructing that tribunal to re-examine the case or carry out additional proceedings — for instance, when the initial court misapplied the law or when fresh evidence must be reviewed
The Supreme Court remanded the case back to the district court for a new trial.
pattern: remand + case + to + court + for + purpose
The appellate panel remanded the matter to the immigration board for further review.
Mizuki's conviction was overturned and the case was remanded to the trial court.
The Court of Appeal remanded the employment dispute to the industrial tribunal for a fresh hearing.
- send back
everyday equivalent; less formal, used in any context
- return
general term; in law, 'remand' is the precise procedural term for sending a case to a lower court
- refer back
broader legal term that can also mean sending a matter to another authority for opinion
文法句型
remand + case/matter + to + lower court
be remanded to + noun phrase for + noun phrase
用法筆記
Used primarily in appellate procedure. The higher court does not decide the case itself — it sends it to a lower court to re-hear or re-decide according to the higher court's legal guidance. This sense is the original historical meaning of 'remand' (to send back) and is used in both British and American legal systems.
常見錯誤
remand — noun
1. the status of being held in prison as a person accused of a crime who has not ye
the status of being held in prison as a person accused of a crime who has not yet stood trial — always used in the fixed phrase 'on remand' (or less often 'in remand') rather than as a standalone countable noun
Jessica spent eight months on remand before the case finally went to trial.
phrase: spend time on remand
While on remand at Wandsworth prison, Hao was held in a separate wing from convicted prisoners.
phrase: while on remand
The time a defendant spends on remand usually counts towards their final sentence.
Wei was released after three weeks on remand when prosecutors dropped the fraud charges.
Prisoners on remand may wear their own clothes, while convicted prisoners must wear a uniform.
- pre-trial detention
formal term for the same concept; often used in government statistics and human rights reports
- custody pending trial
descriptive phrase emphasising that the person has not yet been tried
- release on bail
the opposite status — being free while awaiting trial
- at liberty
formal opposite; not under any restriction
文法句型
on remand
in remand
held on remand
用法筆記
Always used in the fixed phrases 'on remand' or 'in remand' — never 'under remand'. This sense emphasises the prisoner's status and daily experience rather than the legal process. In news reports, 'on remand' is far more common than the countable 'remand' (noun sense 1).
常見錯誤
2. a court's order to send someone accused of a crime to prison before the trial be
a court's order to send someone accused of a crime to prison before the trial begins, or the period of time that the person spends in custody under such an order — the countable form refers to a specific order or duration (e.g., 'a seven-day remand')
The magistrate ordered a seven-day remand while the police gathered more evidence.
collocation: order a remand
The law limits the maximum period of remand to six months for most offences.
Nikos's lawyer applied for the remand order to be reviewed after two weeks, citing a lack of evidence against him.
At the first hearing, the magistrates' court has the power to order a remand in custody or on bail.
The number of people held in pre-trial remand in England and Wales rose by fifteen percent this year.
- pre-trial detention
broader term used in human rights and legal literature; includes police custody as well as court-ordered detention
- custody
more general term for being held by authorities; not specific to the pre-trial stage
文法句型
[adjective] remand
remand of [duration]
order a remand
用法筆記
As a countable noun it refers to a specific order or period (e.g., 'a seven-day remand'). As an uncountable noun it refers to the legal process in general (e.g., 'remand should only be used as a last resort'). Often used attributively before another noun: 'remand centre', 'remand prisoner', 'remand population'.