AC 2.3 - Fines

Question 1

what is a Fine?

Answer 1

• financial penalty
• given for minor offences
• financial circumstances are taken into account & severity of the crime
• paid in instalments and taken from benefits or pay checks

Question 2

how do Fines meet the aim of retribution?

Answer 2

• is a form of revenge especially with larger fines

Question 3

how do Fines not meet the aim of retribution?

Answer 3

• not losing your freedom, is it severe enough?
• as its based on income, is it actually in proportion to the offence?
• according to the mirror newspaper, 61% of fines are uncollected or written off (2015)

Question 4

how do Fines meet the aim of rehabilitation?

Answer 4

• the shock of getting a larger fine could change offenders behaviour
• lower reoffending rate than short sentences (56% compared to 63%) -offering some kind of reform?

Question 5

how do Fines not meet the aim of rehabilitation?

Answer 5

• it doesn’t target the cause of the crime directly, this isn’t rehabilitation

Question 6

how do Fines meet the aim of deterrence?

Answer 6

• the offender may fear further punishment, they understand a harsher punishment may be given if they reoffend

Question 7

how do Fines not meet the aim of deterrence?

Answer 7

• between 2009 & 2013 around £237.1 million of court fines were cancelled ( Whitehead, 2014)
• according to the mirror newspaper, around 61% of fines are written off or uncollected (2015)
• even though income based, if someone earns a lot of money it may not act as a deterrent

Question 8

how do Fines meet the aim of Public Protection?

Answer 8

• offenders who do not pay may face a prison sentence

Question 9

how do Fines not meet the aim of public protection?

Answer 9

• they don’t involve locking people up, so they do not meet the aim
• most unpaid fines are written off, in 2016 the backlog of fines & court charges reached £747 million

Question 10

how do Fines meet the aim of reparation?

Answer 10

• could be argued as ‘payback’ if the victim gets compensation, fulfilling the aim of reparation

Question 11

how do Fines not meet the aim of reparation?

Answer 11

• in the majority of cases, all of the money does not get paid to the victim of the crime - not fulfilling the aim of reparation
• in 2012, unpaid court fines reached nearly £2 billion - they aren’t making amends if they are not paying the fines.

Question 12

how do Fines meet the aim of denunciation?

Answer 12

• people are taken to court and publicly stigmatised when they get their fine, denunciation may be achieved
• public appearance in court is said of re-affirm society’s norms & values

Question 13

how do Fines not meet the aim of denunciation?

Answer 13

• fines may not be serious enough to reinforce how wrong what they have done is