# The Magistrates' Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1981, 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 for 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 exceed 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

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1981/1675/article/54 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/magistrates-courts-northern-ireland-order-1981/article-54
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.