The number of people not paying fines has trebled since new legislation was brought in to curb the numbers being jailed for non-payment. The number is a threefold rise since 2016, when the Fines (Payment and Recovery) Act came into force. Former minister for justice Frances Fitzgerald commenced the legislation in January that year, in response to “the inappropriateness of imprisonment as the automatic response” to unpaid fines. The same number had a receiver appointed to recover the debts, while 824 community service orders have been imposed for non-payment of fines. Also, over the past three years, there have been more than 20,000 bench warrants handed down by courts over unpaid fines.

Source: The Irish Times March 18, 2020 02:03 UTC