Lord Chancellor’s Department: Collection of fines and other financial penalties in the criminal justice system
“The majority of financial penalties are collected, but £74 million had to be written off in 2000-2001. Apart from the cost, the failure to bring in the remainder could undermine the credibility of financial penalties as a form of punishment. Significant improvements are needed to the management of the enforcement process, for example by improving the information available to magistrates on offenders’ means prior to sentence, ensuring that enforcement action is taken promptly, and providing greater support to staff through better training and improved management information.”
15 Mar 2002