Court Officers Act, 1926

Disposal of fines, etc.

51.—(1) Save as is otherwise provided under this section, all fines, amerciaments, penalties and forfeited recognisances imposed or levied by any court after the appointed day shall be paid into or disposed for the benefit of the Exchequer in such manner as the Minister for Finance shall direct and notwithstanding any enactment to the contrary, no part of any such fine, amerciament, penalty, or recognisance shall be paid or allowed to any prosecutor, informer, or other person or paid into any fund.

(2) So much of any fine, amerciament, penalty, or forfeited recognisance imposed or levied by any court on or before the appointed day as is not received by the registrar of district court clerks on or before that day or lawfully paid before, on, or after that day to a prosecutor, informer, or other person shall (save as is otherwise provided under this section) be paid into or disposed for the benefit of the Exchequer in such manner as the Minister for Finance shall direct.

(3) Whenever any fine, amerciament, penalty, or forfeited recognisance is remitted in whole or in part after the same has been paid into or disposed for the benefit of the Exchequer under this section, such fine, amerciament, penalty or forfeited recognisance or the portion thereof so remitted (as the case may be) shall be repaid out of the Exchequer in such manner as the Minister for Finance shall direct.

(4) The Minister may, with the concurrence of the Minister for Finance, by order direct that the whole or any specified portion of every fine or penalty belonging to any particular class or classes of fines or penalties specified in the order shall not be paid into the Exchequer under this section and that, in lieu of being so paid, the whole or such specified portion (as the case may be) of every such fine or penalty shall be paid to such prosecutor, informer, or other person or into such fund and upon such terms and conditions as shall be specified in the order in respect of each particular class or classes of fines.