XN000022-1994-05-04 — Page 20

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 1994

BILL SETTING OUT STANDARD SCALE FOR FINES INTRODUCED

A BILL $100,000 WAS (WEDNESDAY).

* * * * *

SETTING OUT A STANDARD SCALE FOR FINES

THE LEGISLATIVE INTRODUCED INTO

NOT EXCEEDING TODAY COUNCIL

MOVING THE SECOND READING OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE (AMENDMENT) MATHEWS, SAID THE BILL 1994, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON JEREMY PROPOSED STANDARD SCALE WOULD ENABLE THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF FINES TO BE INCREASED FROM TIME TO TIME BY A SINGLE ORDER OF THE COUNCIL IN ORDER TO REFLECT THE EFFECT OF INFLATION.

GOVERNOR IN

THE FINES IN

HE SAID AT PRESENT, THE PROCESS OF INCREASING LEGISLATION WAS COMPLICATED, TIME-CONSUMING AND WASTEFUL OF RESOURCES, SINCE THE INCREASES WERE DONE ON A FINE BY FINE BASIS.

THAT

NEEDS TO

BE

TO REVISED HAS HE SAID: "EACH PROVISION

HAS TO BE IDENTIFIED; THE DATE OF THE LAST ADJUSTMENT TO THE FINE

DATE HAS TO BE ASCERTAINED; THE EXTENT OF INFLATION SINCE THAT DETERMINED; AND AN APPROPRIATE INCREASE IN THE FINE DECIDED UPON.

+I A

PARTICULAR ADDED.

TO AMENDMENT

THAT

** APPROVED, HE

LEGISLATIVE INSTRUMENT SPECIFYING THE

FINE THEN HAS TO BE PREPARED AND FORMALLY

WHICH COMPRISED

MR MATHEWS SAID THE PROPOSED STANDARD SCALE, SIX LEVELS AND RANGED FROM $2,000 AT LEVEL 1 TO $100,000 AT LEVEL WOULD GREATLY SIMPLIFY THE PROCESS.

THE

OF

WILL BE 'CONVERTED HE SAID: "ALL FINES NOT EXCEEDING $100,000 INTO THE APPROPRIATE LEVELS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS IN BILL AND THE VALUES OF THE LEVELS WILL BECOME THE MAXIMUM AMOUNTS THESE FINES.

TIME ΤΟ IN

**THESE MAXIMUM AMOUNTS CAN BE INCREASED FROM TIME TO REFLECT THE EFFECT OF INFLATION SIMPLY BY AN ORDER OF THE GOVERNOR COUNCIL," HE SAID.

MR MATHEWS ALSO STRESSED THAT ADJUSTMENT BY THIS ONLY POSSIBLE TO CATER FOR INFLATION.

METHOD

WAS

OTHER ADJUSTMENTS WOULD

HE

ALSO

ADDED THAT

BY TO BE DONE SPECIFIC AMENDING LEGISLATION AND WOULD HAVE TO BE JUSTIFIED CASE-BY-CASE BASIS, HE SAID.

COMPARATIVELY RARE, WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY THE STANDARD WOULD CONTINUE TO BE REVIEWED INDIVIDUALLY.

CONTINUE

MEANS

OF

ON A

FINES

EXCEEDING

WHICH $100,000,

WERE SCALE, BUT

DEBATE ON THE BILL WAS ADJOURNED.

/6

Page 20Page 21