Procedure In Collection Of Fines Explained

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32099, 22 September 1969, Page 19

Procedure In Collection Of Fines Explained

An offender fined in the Magistrate’s Court had 14 days in which to pay the fine, Mr T. A. F. Withers, the Registrar of the Christchurch Magistrate's Court, said last week. He had been asked to comment on a letter to “The Press” signed by “Foals” saying that there was frequent reference to unemployed persons being fined fairly substantial sums. What happened if the fines were not paid? the correspondent asked. Could an offender escape the consequences of his misdeeds?

Mr Withers replied that he could not comment on the number of unemployed persons fined because no figures were kept to show this. If an offender did not pay a fine within 14 days a warrant to collect it was issued to the police, he said. Unless the fine was paid on demand 'the constable executing the warrant made a report on the offender’s circumstances to a magistrate. The magistrate could then direct that a distress warrant be-issued to seize and sell goods owned by the offender to pay the fine, that a committal warrant be issued requiring the offender to be imprisoned for failing to pay the fine, or that no further warrant be issued or the issue of the warrant be postponed. A magistrate could also direct a summons to be issued to the offender calling on him to show why he should not be

sentenced to periodic detention for failing to pay the fine. At the hearing of this 1 summons the magistrate could sentence the offender to a term of periodic detention which required him to report to the warden on Friday night and remain in custody until . Sunday.