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Magistrates' Courts Act 1980
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31General limit on power of magistrates' court to impose imprisonment
(1)Without prejudice to section 133 below, a magistrates' court shall not have power to impose imprisonment for more than 6 months in respect of any one offence.
(2)Unless expressly excluded, subsection (1) above shall apply even if the offence in question is one for which a person would otherwise be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for more than 6 months.
(3)Any power of a magistrates' court to impose a term of imprisonment for non-payment of a fine, or for want of sufficient distress to satisfy a fine, shall not be limited by virtue of subsection (1) above.
(4)In subsection (3) above "fine" includes a pecuniary penalty but does not include a pecuniary forfeiture or pecuniary compensation.
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