Motorists face new £15 'victims levy'
Vicko Zoomba
Motorists in England and Wales fined for minor offences face having to
pay bigger penalties under a government scheme to compensate victims
of crime.
Since 2007, a £15 surcharge has been added to the fines of all people
convicted of a crime, to raise money for support services for crime
victims.
Now ministers want to extend the scheme to on-the-spot fines and fixed
penalty notices for a range of offences.
They say the offences that could be targeted are not victimless
crimes.
Under the current scheme, anyone fined by the courts pays an extra
£15.
'Stealth tax denial'
However, ministers believe the amount raised could be significantly
increased if it was extended to include people issued with on-the-spot
fines or fixed penalty notices.
This could include motorists caught speeding or flouting parking
restrictions and those guilty of disorder offences such as
shoplifting, writing graffiti or being drunk and disorderly.
Under the plans, a fine of £60 for speeding, using a mobile phone
while driving or not wearing a seatbelt would be increased to £75.
Government officials deny the move amounts to a stealth tax.
They argue that such offences are not "victimless crimes", saying
thousands are killed or injured on Britain's roads every year and
others have their lives ruined by anti-social behaviour.
The current levy, which was introduced in England and Wales as part of
the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, works in
conjunction with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme that pays
compensation to the victims of violent crime.
Prior to its launch, the Home Office - which was responsible for the
initiative at the time - said the surcharge was part of a series of
moves to "rebalance" the criminal justice system in favour of
victims.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
So who's the victim if you're caught by a speed camera over the speed
limit?
I'm absolutely convinced now that the UK is completely out of control.
Ministers scrambling for the moral high ground are totally detached
from the reality of life and the effects of their ministerial actions.
McKevvy
Mike
<vicko_...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8437440.stm
>
>Motorists in England and Wales fined for minor offences face having to
>pay bigger penalties under a government scheme to compensate victims
>of crime.
>
>Since 2007, a �15 surcharge has been added to the fines of all people
>convicted of a crime, to raise money for support services for crime
>victims. </snip>
>
Well that ends the discrimination of extra penalties on some crimes
and not on others.
I wish it was more and it might help stop the arrogance of the idiots
who park illegally and use their mobile phones when driving.
Mike P
Conor
128358...@k17g2000yqh.googlegroups.com>, Vicko Zoomba says...
>
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8437440.stm
>
> Motorists in England and Wales fined for minor offences face having to
> pay bigger penalties under a government scheme to compensate victims
> of crime.
>
> convicted of a crime, to raise money for support services for crime
> victims.
>
> Now ministers want to extend the scheme to on-the-spot fines and fixed
> penalty notices for a range of offences.
>
> They say the offences that could be targeted are not victimless
> crimes.
>
numberplate, a blown headlight bulb or speeding on a rural road at 3am
in the morning.
--
Conor
www.notebooks-r-us.co.uk
I'm not prejudiced. I hate everybody equally.
Conor
> Well that ends the discrimination of extra penalties on some crimes
> and not on others.
> I wish it was more and it might help stop the arrogance of the idiots
> who park illegally and use their mobile phones when driving.
>
How many people have been KSI'd as a result of the above?
Dr Zoidberg
"Vicko Zoomba" <vicko_...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:63a90473-a721-41ae...@k17g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8437440.stm
>
> Motorists in England and Wales fined for minor offences face having to
> pay bigger penalties under a government scheme to compensate victims
> of crime.
>
> Since 2007, a �15 surcharge has been added to the fines of all people
> convicted of a crime, to raise money for support services for crime
> victims.
>
> Now ministers want to extend the scheme to on-the-spot fines and fixed
> penalty notices for a range of offences.
>
> They say the offences that could be targeted are not victimless
> crimes.
>
> So who's the victim if you're caught by a speed camera over the speed
> limit?
Agreed.
Ditto for overstaying in a parking spot , and so on
If your poor driving has had consequences for someone you've hit then a
victim is easy to spot , but not for the offences they mention.
If they need more money to cover the costs of victim support , wouldn't it
simply make more sense to take more from offenders who have committed more
serious crimes rather than having a flat �15 applied to someone who's done
33mph in a 30 as well as someone who has been convicted of serious violent
offences.
--
Alex
Dr Zoidberg
"Conor" <co...@gmx.co.uk> wrote in message
news:MPG.25a932deb...@news.eternal-september.org...
> In article <2s5uj556k78j1t5d0...@4ax.com>, Mike says...
>
>> Well that ends the discrimination of extra penalties on some crimes
>> and not on others.
>> I wish it was more and it might help stop the arrogance of the idiots
>> who park illegally and use their mobile phones when driving.
>>
> How many people have been KSI'd as a result of the above?
>
Parking - very few.
--
Alex
Vicko Zoomba
wrote:
> "Vicko Zoomba" <vicko_zoo...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
Exactly. The logic of this scheme by punishing somone who isnt
connected at all to a victim is beyond me. Just like the logic of
NuLab.
McKevvy
Vicko Zoomba
> In article <2s5uj556k78j1t5d0mqf34t7u7urafu...@4ax.com>, Mike says...
>
> > Well that ends the discrimination of extra penalties on some crimes
> > and not on others.
> > I wish it was more and it might help stop the arrogance of the idiots
> > who park illegally and use their mobile phones when driving.
>
> How many people have been KSI'd as a result of the above?
>
> --
KSI?
Mr. Benn
a349-6f5...@k23g2000yqa.googlegroups.com:
Killed or seriously injured. It's a term used by the police and others.
Vicko Zoomba
> Vicko Zoomba <vicko_zoo...@hotmail.com> wrote in news:0ceb1d30-1af8-449b-
> a349-6f52b721a...@k23g2000yqa.googlegroups.com:
>
> > On 2 Jan, 10:40, Conor <co...@gmx.co.uk> wrote:
> >> In article <2s5uj556k78j1t5d0mqf34t7u7urafu...@4ax.com>, Mike says...
>
> >> > Well that ends the discrimination of extra penalties on some crimes
> >> > and not on others.
> >> > I wish it was more and it might help stop the arrogance of the idiots
> >> > who park illegally and use their mobile phones when driving.
>
> >> How many people have been KSI'd as a result of the above?
>
> >> --
>
> > KSI?
>
> Killed or seriously injured. It's a term used by the police and others.
Ah.
Thanks.
McK.
Chris Bartram
> I'd love to have them explain who would be the victim of no road tax, no
> numberplate, a blown headlight bulb or speeding on a rural road at 3am
> in the morning.
>
Absolutely.
Rob
But they could make it more if they wanted to by increasing the fines
currently being levied, they could also use some of that existing income for
'victim' support - but the very idea of an extra tax on a fine is ludicrous
and illogical.
--
Rob
Conor
says...
> > How many people have been KSI'd as a result of the above?
> >
> Phones - plenty.
I recall it being in single figures.
Silk
> Killed or seriously injured. It's a term used by the police and others.
It's another one of those meaningless political terms designed to
exaggerate the number of actual reported deaths on the road by including
those who were only injured.
Simon Dean
Easy. Just cos it doesn't happen, doesn't mean it can't happen. Yeah.
Simon Dean
We're all victims.
Hugo Nebula
Conor <co...@gmx.co.uk>, randomly hit the keyboard and wrote:
>I'd love to have them explain who would be the victim of no road tax, no
>numberplate, a blown headlight bulb or speeding on a rural road at 3am
>in the morning.
Ah, but what if a child happened to run out into the road at 3am? All
that shifting of responsibility is very traumatic, and can only be
eased by seeing a grief counsellor (also known as an ambulance-chasing
lawyer).
--
Hugo Nebula
"If no-one on the internet wants a piece of this,
just how far from the pack have I strayed"?