NON PAYMENT OF FINES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 6 October 1936, Page 5

NON PAYMENT OF FINES

IMPRISONMENT NOT THE “AUTOMATIC” SEQUEL LEGISLATION TO BE INTRODUCED (By Telegraph—Press Association) WELLINGTON, This Day. Legislation is in course of preparation with a view to making better provision for the payment of fines and diminishing the number of cases where persons are sent to gaol when it was not in the first instance intended by Court to inflict sentences of imprisonment, according to a statement made to-day by the Minister of Justice, the Hon. H. G. R. Mason.

The Minister said he regarded the matter as being of great importance and every effort would be made to have the Bill passed this session. Although it was impossible for him to be ’definite on that point, the Bill, he said, would be on similar lines to the Money Payments (Justices Procedure) Act passed by the Imperial Parliament last year. The effect of it would be that no person would be automatically committed to prison for non-payment of a fine, but committal would only take place after every effort had been made to secure payment of the fine and every consideration given to the offender’s capacity to pay. As a result of legislation passed in England, it is claimed that the amount of imprisonment can be substantially reduced.

The general principle underlying the Act is that the grave step of sending a defaulter to prison should'only be taken as the result of the considered decision of Justices and that, with certain exceptions, this decision shall only be taken after an inquiry as to the .means of a defaulter. Imprisonment as an “automatic” sequel to'default will largely disappear.