£26 million in fines owed to North courts

Jul 22 2007 by Phil Doherty, Sunday Sun

A MASSIVE £26 million in fines has not been paid by offenders despite a high-profile campaign by the Government to combat the problem.

Information from the Justice Ministry shows that the total amount owed in the North for the financial year ending on March 31 is £25,705,785 . . . a huge £652,998 rise on the previous 12 months.

The news follows separate research which showed only one in 20 criminals and offenders paid their fine on the day of sentencing, according to the Public Accounts Committee.

David Hines, of the North East Victims Association and a former magistrate, said: “These unpaid fines should never have been allowed to get as high as £26m as this is a staggering amount of money.

“The Government has been advised to change the way it collects fines but they keep ignoring this advice. If the criminal hasn’t paid his fine then the courts should take it directly from their salary via their employers or deduct it straight from their benefits.

“Then their employer will know they have a criminal record and this will act as a deterrent and it would help to reduce crime.

“Bailiffs could be sent in for those who are self-employed so they don’t get away with it either.”

Unpaid fines include those for motoring offences as well as criminal offences.

Cumbria saw the highest percentage rise of 11 from £2,747,152 in 2005/06 to £3,050,101.

In the Northumbria area there was a 5.33pc jump from £9,888,641 to £10,414,010, while Durham saw a 4.28pc increase from £2,368,044 to £2,469,492. Only two court areas — Cleveland and North Yorkshire — out of the five in the region, reported a reduction in the amount of unpaid fines.

Cleveland saw a fall of £142,586 from the previous year’s total of £6,509,999. North Yorkshire saw a drop of £136,182 from £3,540,951 to £3,404,769.

Ministers have mounted a series of initiatives to increase the amount of money taken from criminals who have been fined. Despite this, across England and Wales, £486m in fines was outstanding this year, up £12m on the previous year.

The Public Accounts Committee, made up of MPs, has called for the Government to bring in major reforms to overhaul the fine collection services.

They also called on the Justice Ministry to consider the prospect of charging interest on unpaid fines or offering discounts to those who pay promptly.

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Plan to improve collection

A JUSTICE MINISTRY spokeswoman said: “The Ministry of Justice and Her Majesty’s Court Service continue to look at ways to improve fine collection.

“In April 2007 the HMCS-led National Enforcement Service began its national roll-out. The NES will improve data sharing and co-operation between agencies to tackle hardcore defaulters.” She said enforcement officers would get stronger powers thanks to the Courts Act 2003, “to raise confidence in the criminal justice system”.