§ 37. Mr. Loughlinasked the Attorney-General if he will seek powers to ensure greater uniformity in fines imposed by magistrates on the basis that such fines are related to the means of those upon whom fines are imposed and further that the level of fines are not determined solely by the geographical area of the court.
§ The Attorney-GeneralNo. My noble Friend does not propose to interfere in the exercise by magistrates of their discreation within the statutory limits laid down by Parliament. One of these limits is Section 31 of the Magistrates' Courts Act, 1952, which requires a magistrates' court, in fixing the amount of a fine
to take into consideration among other things the means of the person on whom the fine is imposed so far as they appear or are known to the Court".