Fine dodgers in city targeted in new drive

FINE dodgers in Londonderry could face having money taken directly from their bank accounts under changes being considered in a new public consultation announced by Justice Minister David Ford.
By The Newsroom
Published 28th Jul 2011, 10:29 BST

Other proposals to tackle the problem include the possibility of defaulters having their vehicles seized, or clamped, or having their licence endorsed. Deductions could also be taken from salaries or benefits from those who refuse to pay their fines in full.

“Over the past number of years there have been an increasing number of people ending up in prison simply for the non-payment of a fine. Around 1,700 people, nearly one third all prison receptions, have been going into prison each year for very short periods of time for not paying their fines.

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“The Justice System needs to do better by helping people avoid default and, where that possibility arises, to provide a range of payment options so that they do not end up in prison.”

The consultation paper looks at four main areas:

Targeting the fine to help courts set fines in the correct cases and in a fully informed way; encouraging payment to help those fined use opportunities for planned payment; dealing with default to explore ways of strengthening the fine and enforcement and delivering the service exploring opportunities to move from a police-led enforcement system to a civilianised model.

“These proposals are not about targeting those who cannot pay their fines, but we must look at new ways of tackling those who refuse to pay.”