C1Part II Summary Procedure
Conviction and Sentence
Fines
C3407 Period of imprisonment for non-payment of fine. C2
F11
Subject to sections 396 to 401 of this Act—
a
a court of summary jurisdiction may, when imposing a fine, impose a period of imprisonment in default of payment; or
b
where no order has been made under paragraph (a) above and a person fails to pay a fine, or any part or instalment of a fine, by the time ordered by the court (or, where section 396(2) of this Act applies, immediately) the court may impose a period of imprisonment for such failure F2either with immediate effect or to take effect in the event of the person failing to pay the fine or any part or instalment of it by such further time as the court may order,
whether or not the fine is imposed under an enactment which makes provision for its enforcement or recovery.
C41A
Subject to the following subsections of this section, the maximum period of imprisonment which may be imposed under subsection (1) above or for failure to find caution, shall be as follows—
Amount of fine or of caution | Maximum period of imprisonment |
|---|---|
Not exceeding F3£50 | 7 days |
14 days | |
30 days | |
60 days | |
90 days | |
6 months | |
9 months | |
12 months | |
F5Exceeding £20,000 but not exceeding £50,000 | 18 months |
F6Exceeding £50,000 but not exceeding £100,000 | F62 years. |
F6Exceeding £100,000 but not exceeding £250,000 | F63 years. |
F6Exceeding £250,000 but not exceeding £1 million | F65 years. |
F6Exceeding £1 million | F610 years. |
1B
Where an offender is fined on the same day before the same court for offences charged in the same complaint or in separate complaints, the amount of the fine shall, for the purposes of this section, be taken to be the total of the fines imposed.
1C
Where a court has imposed a period of imprisonment in default of payment of a fine, and—
a
an instalment of the fine is not paid at the time ordered; or
b
part only of the fine has been paid within the time allowed for payment,
the offender shall be liable to imprisonment for a period which bears to the period so imposed the same proportion, as nearly as may be, as the amount outstanding at the time when warrant is issued for imprisonment of the offender in default bears to the original fine.
1D
Where no period of imprisonment in default of payment of a fine has been imposed and—
a
an instalment of the fine is not paid at the time ordered; or
b
part only of the fine has been paid within the time allowed for payment,
the offender shall be liable to imprisonment for a maximum period which bears, as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the maximum period of imprisonment which could have been imposed by virtue of the Table in subsection (1A) above in default of payment of the original fine as the amount outstanding at the time when he appears before the court bears to the original fine.
2
If in any sentence or extract sentence the period of imprisonment inserted in default of payment of a fine or on failure to find caution is in excess of that competent under this Part of this Act, such period of imprisonment shall be reduced to the maximum period under this Part of this Act applicable to such default or failure, and the judge who pronounced the sentence shall have power to order the sentence or extract to be corrected accordingly.
3
The periods of imprisonment set forth in F7subsection (1A) of this section shall apply to the non-payment of any sum imposed as aforesaid by a court of summary jurisdiction under a statute or order passed or made before the first day of June 1909, notwithstanding that that statute or order fixes any other period of imprisonment.
4
The provisions of this section shall be without prejudice to the operation of section 409 of this Act.
F85
Where in any case—
a
the sheriff considers that the imposition of imprisonment for the number of years for the time being specified in section 2(2) of this Act would be inadequate; and
b
the maximum period of imprisonment which may be imposed under subsection (1) above (or under that subsection as read with either or both of sections 66(2) of the M1Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980 and 7(2) of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1987) exceeds that number of years,
he shall remit the case to the High Court for sentence.
Pt. II (ss. 282–457) extended with modifications by Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 (c. 53, SIF 107:1), s. 60(5)