Criminal Justice Administration Act 1914

4 Provisions for enforcement of payment of fines, &c

(1) Where a person has been adjudged to pay a sum by a conviction of a court of summary jurisdiction, or in proceedings in any such court for enforcing an order in any matter of bastardy, or an order under which weekly sums are made payable towards the maintenance of a wife, the court may order him to be searched and any money found on him on apprehension, or when so searched, or which may be found on him when taken to prison in default of payment of the sum so adjudged to be paid, may, unless the court otherwise directs, be applied towards the payment of the sum so adjudged to be paid, and the surplus,'if any, shall be returned to him.

Provided that the money shall not be so applied if the court is satisfied that the money does not belong to the person on whom it was found, or that the loss of the money will be more injurious to his family than his imprisonment.

(2) Where a warrant of distress is issued by a court of summary jurisdiction it shall authorise the person charged with the execution thereof to take any money as well as any goods of the person against whom the distress is levied, and any money so taken shall be treated as if it were the proceeds of sale of goods taken under the warrant, and the provisions of the Summary Jurisdiction Acts shall apply accordingly.