Skip to Content

Criminals to face paying court charges.


In a move which, is a step in the right direction, the Government has announced that criminals will face having to pay up to £1200 towards the cost of their court case.

Whilst this is to be applauded I feel the ceiling is too low, the fines are not going to be means tested and the court will start with a fine of £150.

The fees are not replacing any other costs the convicted criminal may face, such as compensation orders, fines or legal costs, and will not be linked to the offence but to the cost of the court case, which has lead to concerns that people may plead guilty just to avoid the fee, rather than have their case go to trial.

The system is to be reviewed in six months amid concerns that the fees will go unpaid, and one critic suggests that the court service will have around £1 Billion in unpaid fines by 2020, which is going some as we approximate that only £1/2 Billion in fines would have been issued by then.

We are in danger of having quite a few different charges that the court can levy, it can already impose a charge payable to the prosecution team, the difference with the new one is that the fine is payable to the court service for its costs.

In addition to these two fines the convicted can receive fines for -

- Compensation for victims
- Victims Surcharge Fine
- Fine for the crime

We are all for criminals paying their way, and feel this is a good measure, but with legal aid cuts we would also like to see some funds being redirected back to defendants solicitors.



Image Description
related news
recent articles
Double Jeopardy Law

What is Double Jeopardy? and is it still Law in the UK?..

link

Children and the law - Committing a crime

Children and the law - Committing a crime.
A child under 10 will not be charged with a criminal offence but they can face consequences for their actions.
The..

Children and the Law Consensual Sex

Children and the Law Consensual Sex
To consent is to agree to something, so when you are talking about the age of consent it is the age at which that law state..

Reporting a Crime.

If the crime is ongoing call 999, you should not put yours or anyone else’s safety at risk by taking action yourself...

What is a Section 60 notice?

Over 2000 section 60 notices have been issued in London last year..

link

Wilful Neglect.

Social workers could face up to five years in jail should they prove guilty of wilful neglect towards children, if consultation decides to extend the law to inc..

Anti-Social Behaviour

Anti-Social Behaviour.
Anti-social behaviour is defined as activities that are unacceptable and reduce the quality of life for others, this could be by harassm..

Social Media hampering police investigations.

Its time social media worked better with the police...

Stop and Search Laws to be changed?

Police Chiefs are calling for a change in the 'stop and search' l..

link

Injunctions.

How to apply for one, and what is an injunction? - If you are seeking an injunction we would recommend that you take immediate advice...

Criminal Law

..

Points on your Driving License

Points on your Driving License - What happens when you receive points on your Driving Licence, How long do they stay, how many points until you are banned from..

Image Description
Is there anything wrong with this page? - any amendments will receive accreditation - email us

Solicitors.com are not a firm of solicitors, and any content on the site should not be used in substitute for obtaining Legal advice from a solicitor regulated in the UK, Solicitors.com recommends that you contact a firm of solicitors to discuss your individual legal requirement. Whilst we strive to bring you accurate up to date content, all content on this site is not legal advice and is not guaranteed to be correct. Use of this site does not create a client relationship.

Information by area of law
Back to top