Hon Paul Goldsmith
Minister of Justice

The Government is trialling new technology which will help clamp and seize cars of people evading paying court fines, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. 

“If you haven’t paid your court fines, you may soon find yourself walking home or needing a lift. 

“Bailiffs are now trialling handheld devices which scan the number plates of parked cars, and determine whether the owners have overdue court fines or reparations. 

“If they do, the car may be clamped or towed away. It’s that simple. 

“This is first being trialled throughout streets nationwide, and will be present at some breath testing stations this weekend alongside police.  

“We promised to find new effective ways to force people to pay their court fines. That’s exactly what we’re delivering. We know wheel clamping is already a successful enforcement tool and we want to build on that.

“Those who have suffered emotional harm or have had their property lost or damaged by an offender’s actions should not be left out of pocket.  

“Victims are our priority, and their needs underpin all our work to restore law and order, which we know is working.   

“There's been a long-standing slackness when it comes to bringing in fines and I've given very strong instructions to the Ministry of Justice to find ways to collect them.”

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