27 Dec 2013

Govt penalises fine defaulters

9:21 pm on 27 December 2013

The Minister for Courts says despite millions of dollars in fines being written off in the last financial year, offenders are not escaping without punishment.

The Government wrote off $68.6 million during the period, mostly for driving offences.

The minister Chester Borrows says a judge will often order another punishment such as community work or prison if it's decided the offender doesn't have the ability to pay.

Mr Borrows says about half of the money written off is made up of court costs or administrative fees rather than fines.

He says that from January the police will have the ability to take away a drivers' licence from people who have overdue fines but haven't taken steps to pay them.