In April 2007 the Government introduced a controversial scheme - the Victim surcharge.

This meant that anyone who was fined in court also had to pay an extra £15 towards a fund for victims.

This was seen by many as an unfair 'tax' - the majority of crimes where there is a direct victim, for example burglary, assault etc are too serious to be dealt with by way of a fine.

Fines are for the less serious offences and as usual motorists fell into this category. So someone appearing in court for driving at 76 on the motorway would also have to pay £15 for the victims fund, someone who broke into an elderly persons home and stole their life savings would be exempt from paying into the victims fund!! Fair? We know where motorists are concerned fair is rarely an appropriate word.

The good news was that motorists who paid a fixed penalty were exempt from this. Until now.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "The surcharge has, to date, been applied only to fines, at a rate of £15. The Government is considering whether to extend the surcharge to certain types of penalty notices and other court disposals."

So it looks like the motorist will be funding the victim surcharge even more!

If you have any questions you can call or email us for a FREE initial advice - visit our website at http://www.motoringlawyersonline.com