Magistrates' Courts Act 1980

87 Enforcement of payment of fines by High Court and county court

(1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (2) below, payment of a sum adjudged to be paid by a conviction of a magistrates' court may be enforced by the High Court or a county court (otherwise than by issue of a writ of fieri facias or other process against goods or by imprisonment or attachment of earnings) as if the sum were due to the clerk of the magistrates' court in pursuance of a judgment or order of the High Court or county court, as the case may be.

(2) Subsection (1) above shall not be construed as authorising the enforcement by a county court of payment of a fine exceeding the limit for the time being in force under section 40 of the [1959 c. 22.] County Courts Act 1959 on the amount of any penalty recoverable by statute in a county court.

(3) The clerk of the magistrates' court shall not take proceedings by virtue of subsection (1) above to recover any sum adjudged to be paid by a conviction of the court from any person unless authorised to do so by the court after an inquiry under section 82 above into that person's means.

(4) Any expenses incurred by the clerk of a magistrates' court in recovering any such sum shall be treated for the purposes of Part VI of the [1979 c. 55.] Justices of the Peace Act 1979 as expenses of the magistrates' courts committee.