The Register of Fines Regulations 2003

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations establish a register of fines imposed on conviction by the Crown Court and by magistrates' courts (“Register of Fines”).

The Register is to be kept by the Lord Chancellor through an officer of his Department designated by him or a body corporate under an agreement with him (“the Keeper of the Register”) (Regulation 2).

The condition for the registration of a fine in the Register of Fines by the Keeper of the Register is notification that the registration of the fine is a further step taken by the fines officer responsible for enforcement of the fine under a collection order made by the court in respect of the fine under Schedule 5 to the Courts Act 2003 (Regulation 4).

Provision is made for the cancellation of an entry relating to a fine on payment of the fine in full within the period of 28 days of registration or for a note recording the payment and the date if it is made after that period (Regulation 7(2)).

Entries subsisting in the Register after five years from registration are to be removed (Regulation 7(3)).

Provision is made for members of the public to require searches of the Register to be carried out and to obtain certified copies of the results of the searches (Regulation 8).