Changes to sentencing guidelines will increase fines on speeding motorists

The Sentencing Council, which issues guidelines to magistrates on sentences, has recommended increasing fines imposed on motorists caught speeding, among other recommendations.  The most serious cases in England and Wales will rise by up to 50 per cent.

A driver caught doing 41mph in a 20mph zone, or 101mph on a motorway, could be fined up to one and a half times their weekly income up to a maximum of £1,000. Animal cruelty captured on camera will see a harsher sentence, with the most serious offenders sent to prison.

The Sentencing Council said it wanted to ensure a "clear increase in penalty" as the seriousness of offending increases. It said the changes were not intended to result in significant differences to current sentencing practice, but to target specific offences.

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