Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the Register of Fines Regulations 2003, which establishes a register of fines imposed on conviction by the Crown Court and magistrates' courts.

Fines are currently only being registered as part of a pilot scheme of fine collection under Schedule 5 to the Courts Act 2003. That pilot scheme has been extended to run until 31st March 2006. Therefore, the amendment in regulation 2 extends the use of the 2003 Regulation to allow the fines collection scheme to carry on using registration of a fine as one of the methods of enforcement for the duration of the extended pilots.

The amendments in regulation 3(a) to change the temporary registration from 28 days to 1 month is to bring the registration of fines in line with the registration of civil judgments, which, when section 98 of the Courts Act 2003 is fully brought into force, will be kept on the same register.

The amendment in regulation 3(b) is to ensure the removal from the register of details of a fine after five years from the date of conviction.