Covid Superfines have been suspended
On the spot Covid "super-fines" have been temporarily suspended by police chiefs amid fears of legal challenges over the lack of means testing of offenders.
The £10,000 fixed penalties notices were halted by the National Police Chiefs' Council due to concerns about "inequalities" with those choosing to go to court opting to spread the debt over a longer period or pay less by undergoing means testing.
By the middle of October over 60 fines of £10,000 were issued for gatherings of more than 30 people, including protests, raves, and parties. Breaches of quarantine or self-isolation carry similar penalties, raising the prospect of retrospective legal challenges.
The West Midlands police and crime commissioner, David Jamieson, wrote a letter to Kit Malthouse, the policing minister, seeking urgent clarification.
Mr Jamieson blamed the move on "concerns of inequalities" between those who paid on the spot and those who challenged the fine in court, and added, "I feel thoroughly embarrassed that I have been personally supporting the Government's actions, which at best, are questionable,".
Michael Gardner, solicitor, acknowledged that the police could argue that anyone was free to challenge the fine in court, though he said the disparity in treatment "does seem unfair".
A freedom information request indicated that more than "three in five" fines had gone unpaid in some parts of the country, while thousands had been rescinded.
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