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If they follow the letter of the law any fine should equal the same financial punishment in terms of proportion to the persons circumstance, so no savings, minimum wage worker should be at the low end of the scale while an investment banker should be at the higher end. That applies now, so if they raised the upper limits unless you are pretty wealthy it should make little difference and if you are that wealthy maybe a more meaningful fine can be imposed.
That's in an ideal world though I suspect in reality the poor sap with the legal aid solicitor ends up paying back the big fine in instalments while the rich guy with the high flying law firm onside pays b-all
This is all scaremongering as far as I can see. Punishment for most crimes is so lenient in the UK, as the prisons are already full to bursting point!!
Take the latest story in this area.
Chap plunders literally thousands from a disability charity, goes to court, gets a suspended sentence, fined £1000 and ordered to do 21 hours at an attendance centre and a curfew.
But, the curfew will be lifted for a fortnight because he's off on his holidays.
Whoever said that crime doesn't pay is talking a load of old b******s. End of rant.
By the letter of the law though (not that it seems to be applied properly) before fining anyone they should take in to account earnings, assets, etc and make any fine proportionate to that so that no matter what your income the hardship caused by the fine should be equal.
The fine is punishment not revenue generation so why should a poor person be (proportionately to their wealth) punished more than a wealthier person, raising maximum thresholds just evens things up.
Although those on benefits who don't actually earn money still get let off easily because the fine will just be taken out of their weekly beer and fags allowance.....
Rant over....
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