FIFTY YEARS AGO Thursday May 18, 1972

Amazing drop in court fines

Fines at Campbeltown Sheriff Court have dropped drastically during the past two weeks compared with previous courts.

At last week’s court, fines totalled £67 – compared with £550 at a recent Friday morning hearing.

Taking numbers and seriousness of complaints into consideration, perhaps there is some justification for the amazing drop but nevertheless could there be a case for fixed penalties?

It seems strange that one sheriff’s interpretation of the law would differ so much from the next.

Variations, of course, there must be, because of mitigating circumstances and the fact that sheriff and accused are both human beings.

At Friday’s court, Sheriff RA Inglis from Paisley said: ‘Perhaps I should live up to the image I apparently created last week.’