It is a criminal offence to Fail to Appear at either your fingerprint or court date.
If you have been arrested, the police have the power, for many offences, to release you from the police station. In doing so, they may ask you to sign a form which is essentially an agreement into which you enter, stating that you will attend court on a specific date. If you do not attend court (or for fingerprinting, as stipulated on the form), you may be charged with a further criminal offence of Failure to Attend Court (or Fingerprinting).
Generally speaking, the first appearance in Criminal Court is for administrative purposes only. At the first appearance, you can expect to receive initial disclosure from the Crown Attorney. “Disclosure” is the evidence which the police have collected in support of the charges against you. The Crown Attorney is required to provide you this disclosure to ensure you are aware of the case against you and so that you can prepare a defence.