The Magistrates' Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1981

Release from custody and reduction of period of imprisonment on paymentN.I.

111.—(1) Where imprisonment has been imposed on any person by the conviction or order of a magistrates' court in default of payment of any sum or for want of sufficient distress to satisfy such sum, then, on the payment of the sum to a person authorised to receive it, together with the costs and charges, if any, of the commitment and distress, the order shall cease to have effect; and if the person has been committed to custody he shall be released unless he is in custody for some other cause.

(2) Where, after a period of imprisonment has been imposed on any person in default of payment of any sum adjudged to be paid by the conviction or order of a magistrates' court or for want of sufficient distress to satisfy such a sum, payment of part of the sum is made to a person authorised to receive it, the period of imprisonment shall, subject to paragraph (3), be reduced by such number of days as bears to the total number of days in that period less one day the same proportion as the amount so paid bears to so much of the said sum, and the costs of any distress levied to satisfy that sum, as was due at the time the period of imprisonment was imposed.

(3) In calculating the reduction required under paragraph (2) any fraction of a day shall be left out of account.