Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1987

66 Penalties in respect of summary conviction for certain offences

(1) In section 289G of the 1975 Act (which creates the standard scale and amends certain enactments accordingly), after subsection (9) there shall be added the following new subsections—

“(10) Subject to subsection (12) below, where under a relevant subordinate instrument the fine or maximum fine on conviction of a summary offence specified in the instrument is an amount shown in the second column of the standard scale, the reference in the instrument to the amount of the fine or maximum fine shall be construed as a reference to the level in the first column of the standard scale corresponding to that amount.

(11) In subsection (10) above, "relevant subordinate instrument" means any instrument made by virtue of an enactment after 30th April 1984 and before the commencement of section 66 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1987.

(12) Subsection (10) above shall not affect so much of any instrument as (in whatever words) makes a person liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding a specified amount for each period of a specified length during which a continuing offence is continued after conviction or the occurrence of any other specified event.

(13) Where there is, under any enactment (however framed or worded) contained in an Act passed before the commencement of section 66 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1987, a power to create summary offences by subordinate instrument, the maximum fine for a summary offence so created may be expressed as a fine not exceeding a level on the standard scale.

(14) Subsection (13) above has effect in relation to exercises of powers before as well as after the commencement of section 66 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1987.”.

(2) After section 289G of the 1975 Act there shall be inserted the following new sections—

“289GA Statutory maximum as penalty in respect of summary conviction for offences in subordinate instruments.

(1) Where there is, under any enactment (however framed or worded) contained in an Act passed before the commencement of section 66 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1987, a power by subordinate instrument to create a criminal offence triable either on indictment or summarily, the maximum fine which may, in the exercise of the power, be authorised on summary conviction shall, by virtue of this section, be the statutory maximum (unless some larger maximum fine can be authorised on summary conviction of such an offence by virtue of an enactment other than this subsection).

(2) Where there is, under any enactment (however framed or worded) contained in an Act passed before the commencement of section 66 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1987, a power to create offences triable either on indictment or summarily by subordinate instrument, the maximum fine on summary conviction for such an offence may be expressed as a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum.

(3) Subsections (1) and (2) above shall have effect in relation to any exercise of such power before as well as after the commencement of section 66 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1987.

(4) Where an offence created by a subordinate instrument made before the commencement of section 66 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1987 may be tried either on indictment or summarily, the maximum fine which may be imposed on summary conviction shall by virtue of this subsection be the statutory maximum (unless the offence is one for which by virtue of the instrument a larger maximum fine may be imposed on summary conviction).

(5) Where a person summarily convicted of any offence to which subsection (4) above relates would, apart from this section, be liable to a fine or to a maximum fine of an amount in the case of a first conviction and of a different amount in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, subsection (4) above shall apply irrespective of whether the conviction is a first, second or subsequent one.

(6) Subsection (4) above shall not affect so much of any instrument as (in whatever words) makes a person liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding a specified amount for each period of a specified length during which a continuing offence is continued after conviction or the occurrence of any other specified event.

(7) Nothing in this section shall affect the punishment for an offence committed before the commencement of section 66 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1987.

289GB Exceptionally high maximum fines.

(1) The Secretary of State may by order amend an enactment or subordinate instrument specifying a sum to which this subsection applies so as to substitute for that sum such other sum as appears to him—

(a) to be justified by a change in the value of money appearing to him to have taken place since the last occasion on which the sum in question was fixed; or

(b) to be appropriate to take account of an order altering the standard scale which has been made or is proposed to be made.

(2) Subsection (1) above applies to any sum which—

(a) is higher than level 5 on the standard scale; and

(b) is specified as the fine or the maximum fine which may be imposed on conviction of an offence which is triable only summarily.

(3) The Secretary of State may by order amend an enactment or subordinate instrument specifying a sum to which this subsection applies so as to substitute for that sum such other sum as appears to him—

(a) to be justified by a change in the value of money appearing to him to have taken place since the last occasion on which the sum in question was fixed; or

(b) to be appropriate to take account of an order made or proposed to be made altering the statutory maximum.

(4) Subsection (3) above applies to any sum which—

(a) is higher than the statutory maximum; and

(b) is specified as the maximum fine which may be imposed on summary conviction of an offence triable either on indictment or summarily.

(5) An order under this section—

(a) shall be made by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament; and

(b) shall not affect the punishment for an offence committed before that order comes into force.

(6) In this section—

• "enactment" includes an enactment contained in an Act passed after the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1987; and

• "subordinate instrument" includes an instrument made after the passing of that Act.”.