BLM associate, Zoe McDonnell is the author of today's legal column in The Scotsman.
Discussing the new legislation in Scotland which applies to offences committed on or after 25 November, judges and sheriffs will soon have no option but to impose an extra penalty on offenders sentenced to a fine following a conviction.
Zoe explains, "Scotland is not the first part of the UK to introduce a Victim Surcharge. It was introduced in England and Wales in April 2007 and has proved controversial. Concerns arose around the ability of offenders to pay, the removal of judicial discretion and the application of the scheme to those sentenced to modes of punishment other than fines, notably imprisonment."
Zoe goes on to outline the new approach in more detail including the level of fines that will be imposed and what the Scottish Government has planned to ensure it is a fair system.
To read the full article published today on The Scotsman website, please click here.
