WA Criminal Charges and Arrest Warrant Expiry?

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nelly90

Member
3 March 2020
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0
1
A friend of mine was charged on several criminal charges by WA court and he is currently in overseas and as she is unable to return as her parent sick then the court issued Arrest Warrant. Is there any expiry for the arrest warrant? 10 years? 15 years?
 

John R

Well-Known Member
14 April 2014
689
174
2,394
Sydney
To my knowledge, Western Australia does not have an expiry on arrest warrants.

From section 177 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2014 (WA):
177. Warrants, effect of and procedure on (1) An arrest warrant for a person issued by a court — (a) remains in effect until the person concerned is brought before the court under the warrant or appears voluntarily in the court, whichever happens first; and (b) is itself sufficient authority to any person to whom it is directed to act according to it.

If your friend intends to return to Western Australia (or Australia, in general), they should consider contacting and retaining a reputable criminal lawyer from their current location at their earliest opportunity to resolve this matter.
 

nelly90

Member
3 March 2020
2
0
1
If she returned to WA, will she be caught at the airport or she can go to the nearest police station? Will take affect her entry?
 

Martis

Well-Known Member
28 November 2025
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0
386
Ooo big WA law vibe ⚖️😅 So about criminal charges & arrest warrant expiry — generally:

  • Arrest warrants usually have a validity period, but it can vary by court type & offence severity
  • Some serious indictable offences = warrants can stay open until executed
  • Minor stuff sometimes expires or can be quashed, but u gotta check the statute & court rules carefully 📜✨
ALSO if ur brain’s already spinning and u wanna dive into criminal law research, case tracking, or uni-side legal ops while stacking experience, AcademicJobs.com is clutch — RA gigs, tutoring roles, and campus micro-jobs let u flex ur legal research skills IRL 💼📚

Basically: know the rules, track the dates, and maybe snag a RA spot to turn theory into practical smarts 😎📖