Demand your day in court
Discussion
Look at this:
www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/News/story.asp?datetime=22+Aug+2003+11%3A56&tbrand=ENOnline&tCategory=NEWS&category=News&brand=ENOnline&itemid=NOED22+Aug+2003+11%3A56%3A26%3A937
Road safety cash lost to fines loophole
=========================================================
August 22, 2003 11:56
THOUSANDS of pounds in speeding fines are being swallowed up by legal fees and drained from new life-saving road safety schemes in Norfolk.
The Norfolk Casualty Reduction Partnership, who operate the county's safety cameras, are losing out on more than £200,000 a year because fines imposed on motorists in court go directly to the Treasury.
Norfolk's network of 18 fixed speed cameras trapped 35,324 speeding motorists between July 2002 and the end of June this year — in theory netting more than £2 million.
This total was significantly reduced because about one in 10 per cent of motorists issued with fines end up in court — hitting the partnership's ability to fund future road safety measures.
Spokesman Bryan Edwards said that every time a motorist trapped by one of their cameras appears before a court, the partnership had to cover
the cost.
The money raised in fines then bypasses Norfolk and goes straight to the Government.
On the basis of £60 for a ticket the amount made from speeding motorists is about £2,100,000 a year.
Mr Edwards said: "If a person is caught speeding we issue a fixed penalty fine of £60, which we claim and use to cover our operating costs. But if a motorist is caught driving at a high speed it goes to court and we have to pay the processing fees. The Department of
Transport takes all money made from these fines."
He added that money was only recoverable at the end of the financial year and was only just enough to cover legal expenses.
"There is a misconception that the money raised from all speeding motorists goes back in to the police budget, but we rarely see a penny it all goes directly to the Treasury and we are left with the bill," he
said.
Jim Wilson, chairman of the Norfolk Police Authority, said: "It is a myth that money from safety cameras comes back to the police and the Casualty Reduction Partnership.
"We don't make profits out of it and the cameras are heavily regulated by the Government."
====================================================
This is very interesting indeed. I presume the Scamera Partnerships don't get fines paid in court BECAUSE the courts are in the scheme and if they got the fines money they could not be impartial as in "the right
to a fair trial".
You might think, therefore, that it is every motorist's duty to opt for court and deny the Scammers their cash - it's a double denial too, because it seems from this report that the Partnership must cover court costs in these cases. I believe that the "costs" awarded in court are prosecution costs and not the total of court operating costs.
I'm already hearing frequently that the court system is overloaded - there are rumoured to be in excess of 50,000 unsigned forms cases in the system - one lawyer said "teetering on the brink".
So THINK VERY CAREFULLY before you pay ANY fixed penalty notice. Also see:
www.safespeed.org.uk/unite.html
Best Regards,
Paul Smith
Safe Speed
www.safespeed.org.uk
www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/News/story.asp?datetime=22+Aug+2003+11%3A56&tbrand=ENOnline&tCategory=NEWS&category=News&brand=ENOnline&itemid=NOED22+Aug+2003+11%3A56%3A26%3A937
Road safety cash lost to fines loophole
=========================================================
August 22, 2003 11:56
THOUSANDS of pounds in speeding fines are being swallowed up by legal fees and drained from new life-saving road safety schemes in Norfolk.
The Norfolk Casualty Reduction Partnership, who operate the county's safety cameras, are losing out on more than £200,000 a year because fines imposed on motorists in court go directly to the Treasury.
Norfolk's network of 18 fixed speed cameras trapped 35,324 speeding motorists between July 2002 and the end of June this year — in theory netting more than £2 million.
This total was significantly reduced because about one in 10 per cent of motorists issued with fines end up in court — hitting the partnership's ability to fund future road safety measures.
Spokesman Bryan Edwards said that every time a motorist trapped by one of their cameras appears before a court, the partnership had to cover
the cost.
The money raised in fines then bypasses Norfolk and goes straight to the Government.
On the basis of £60 for a ticket the amount made from speeding motorists is about £2,100,000 a year.
Mr Edwards said: "If a person is caught speeding we issue a fixed penalty fine of £60, which we claim and use to cover our operating costs. But if a motorist is caught driving at a high speed it goes to court and we have to pay the processing fees. The Department of
Transport takes all money made from these fines."
He added that money was only recoverable at the end of the financial year and was only just enough to cover legal expenses.
"There is a misconception that the money raised from all speeding motorists goes back in to the police budget, but we rarely see a penny it all goes directly to the Treasury and we are left with the bill," he
said.
Jim Wilson, chairman of the Norfolk Police Authority, said: "It is a myth that money from safety cameras comes back to the police and the Casualty Reduction Partnership.
"We don't make profits out of it and the cameras are heavily regulated by the Government."
====================================================
This is very interesting indeed. I presume the Scamera Partnerships don't get fines paid in court BECAUSE the courts are in the scheme and if they got the fines money they could not be impartial as in "the right
to a fair trial".
You might think, therefore, that it is every motorist's duty to opt for court and deny the Scammers their cash - it's a double denial too, because it seems from this report that the Partnership must cover court costs in these cases. I believe that the "costs" awarded in court are prosecution costs and not the total of court operating costs.
I'm already hearing frequently that the court system is overloaded - there are rumoured to be in excess of 50,000 unsigned forms cases in the system - one lawyer said "teetering on the brink".
So THINK VERY CAREFULLY before you pay ANY fixed penalty notice. Also see:
www.safespeed.org.uk/unite.html
Best Regards,
Paul Smith
Safe Speed
www.safespeed.org.uk
g well bankrupts them. 
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