Unpaid fines bill hits £¾m

NEARLY THREE quarters of a million pounds is still owed to courts in Tayside, Central and Fife in unpaid fines from last year.

Figures released by the Scottish Court Service yesterday show that across Scotland the total value of unpaid fines from 2011/12 stands at £6.5 million.

These include sheriff court fines, fiscal direct penalties, fines imposed at justice of the peace courts and direct penalties issued by police.

In Tayside, Central and Fife the total still outstanding is £708,000.

More than half of this, £422,000, comes from outstanding sheriff court fines.

The figures also revealed that nearly half of all fines issued by police in Tayside, Central and Fife for antisocial behaviour are unpaid and then must be pursued through the courts.

Of the 5,017 f ines issued by police just over half, 2,568 were paid. The remainder, worth £98,000 were subsequently registered as court fines for non-payment.

Commenting on the f igures, Conser vative justice spokesman David McLetchie said: “These levels of non-payment bring the whole system into disrepute and undermine public confidence in the justice system.

“Fiscal f ines are supposed to be an alternative to prosecution but when they are simply ignored by so many, the public will conclude that they are not much of an alternative.”

L ew i s M a c d o n a l d, Labour’s justice spokesman, said: “It is completely unacceptable that one in three people are not bothering to pay a penny towards the fines imposed by our courts and this illustrates a major weakness in our justice system.”

The Scottish Court Service said all outstanding fines and financial penalties are being pursued. Enforcement actions include benefit deductions, freezing bank accounts, arresting wages and seizing cars.

Overall unpaid fines in Scotland stand at £6.5m.