Bezirksgerichte gestatten es Autofahrern immer noch, Strafpunkte durch schlechte Boxenspenden zu vermeiden
https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2025/11/11/district-courts-still-allow-motorists-avoid-penalty-points-despite-no-jurisdiction/
Von Early_Egg_7474
8 Kommentare
“Court Service figures show recent increases in the use of the poor box and the avoidance of convictions…
Last year, €1.67 million was paid to charities via the poor box; however, this figure includes donations for offences to which penalty points do not apply.”
Hmm…I feel somewhat conflicted about this…..
Allowing motorists to pay into the court “poor box” to avoid penalty points is an insult to everyone who has lost loved ones or been injured by reckless drivers. It trivialises dangerous driving, weakens the penalty points system, and sends the message that justice can be bought. For victims’ families, it’s deeply disrespectful their pain is treated as less important than a donation. The penalty points system exists to protect lives and deter repeat offences, not to be sidestepped with cash. It’s long past time this outdated practice was ended so road safety laws are enforced fairly and human life respected.
What a joke of a country
Why is it in only some District Courts? Is it down to certain judges, or just the way things are done in that area.
I think it’s a fair way out – why give a criminal conviction to a young person say who has been stupid? Make them go to court and incur the cost and the feel the fear and then hopefully they will have learned a lesson .. it’s normally used like that ..
For non driving type offences (so nothing where someone else was put in danger or seriously impacted), and the person has otherwise been of good behaviour their whole life, this is a good thing. Far better a charity get a few quid than the insurance company gets it when the jack up the premium cos someone has penalty points.
It’s a holdover from before we had proper probation and caution systems and no way to write off criminal convictions. We have those things now but they are far from perfect so the poor box should probably be kept for now.