Article 54 Power to impose fine in lieu of imprisonment

(1)

Without prejudice to any other enactment, where a magistrates' court has power to impose imprisonment forF1 an offence and, apart from this Article, has not authority to impose a fine for that offence, the court may, subject to paragraph (2), instead of imposing a sentence of imprisonment impose a fine which—

(a)

for an offence punishable on conviction on indictment or on summary conviction, shall not exceed the prescribed sum within the meaning of Article 4 of the Fines and Penalties (Northern Ireland) Order 1984; and

(b)

for an offence punishable on summary conviction only, shall—

(i)

not exceedF2 level 3 on the standard scale, and

(ii)

not be of such an amount as would subject the offender, in default of payment of the fine, to a longer term of imprisonment or detention than the term to which he is liable on conviction of the offence.

Para. (2) rep. by 1984 NI 3

Annotations

Textual amendments

F1: 1984 NI 3
F2: 1994 NI 15