This review of publicly held data on court fines and those who receive them seeks to answer the following questions: How has the court fine been used over the past five years?; Which offences do people get fined for?; Who gets fined and what are the demographics of those individuals who receive fines?; And what are the outcomes associated with fines, specifically repayment rates, re-offending rates and imprisonment for fine default? The review includes a quantitative analysis of Citizens Advice data for clients who faced fine arrears between 2019 and 2023.
This review is part of our research project looking at the impact of court fines on people on low incomes, summarised in our report, 'Where the hell am I going to get that money from?: The impact of court fines on people on low incomes'.