The last major shift in bail legislation before the modern system was the Bail Act 1898. This allowed for justices of the peace to dispense with sureties in situations where they judged that requiring payments for bail would inhibit the course of justice, largely because this meant that many poorer criminals would languish in jail for petty crimes just because they could not afford bail bonds. The Act seemed to have a significant effect, despite criticism in Parliament, as the number of people released on bail before trial had increased by 25% in 1904.