Magistrates' Court fines - proposed increase
10 Jun
2014
2014
It has been reported that the Government is considering raising the maximum limits in relation to the standard scale for fines, effectively quadrupling them in most instances with a suggestion of providing Magistrates with unlimited fining powers where these are currently set at a maximum of £5,000 or more.
The following tables summarises the current and proposed position:
| Scale Level | Maximum fine - current | Maximum fine - proposed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | £200 | £800 |
| 2 | £500 | £2,000 |
| 3 | £1,000 | £4,000 |
| 4 | £2,500 | £10,000 |
| 5 | £5,000 | Unlimited |
The vast majority of offences under the Licensing Act 2003 would be affected by such changes and the following table includes the most notable.
| Offence | LA 2003 (section) | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Failure to leave licensed premises on request when drunk or disorderly | s.143 | Level 1 |
| Unsupervised sales by children | s.153 | Level 1 |
| Failure of premises licence holder to update name or address | s.33 | Level 2 |
| Failure to display or produce premises licence | s.57 | Level 2 |
| Failure to produce personal licence | s.135 | Level 2 |
| Failure of personal licence holder to update name or address | s.127 | Level 2 |
| Failure to produce personal licence to Court when charged with a relevant offence | s.128 | Level 2 |
| Keeping alcohol on premises for unauthorised sale | s.138 | Level 2 |
| Allowing disorderly conduct on licensed premises | s.140 | Level 3 |
| Sale of alcohol to a person who is drunk | s.141 | Level 3 |
| Obtaining alcohol for a person who is drunk | s.142 | Level 3 |
| Permitting unaccompanied under 16s on certain premises | s.145 | Level 3 |
| Purchase of alcohol by children | s.149 | Level 3 |
| Under 18 knowingly consuming alcohol on relevant premises | s.150 | Level 3 |
| Obstructing an authorised person investigating licensable activities | s.179 | Level 3 |
| Failure to notify licensing authority of relevant convictions during personal licence application period | s.123 | Level 4 |
| Sale of alcohol to children | s.146 | Level 5 |
| Allowing the sale of alcohol to children | s.147 | Level 5 |
| Purchase of alcohol on behalf of children | s.149 | Level 5 |
| Knowingly allowing the consumption of alcohol on relevant premises by children | s.150 | Level 5 |
| Delivering alcohol to children | s.151 | Level 5 |
| Sending a child to obtain alcohol | s.152 | Level 5 |
| Knowingly or recklessly making a false statement in connection with applications | s.158 | Level 5 |
Law correct at the date of publication.
Back to Latest News