The Scottish Sentencing Commission published its recommendations for an overhaul of the fines system yesterday. It called for the scrapping of fines for offenders with low disposable incomes, replacing them with supervision orders or community service.
Anybody who defaulted on a fine of up to £5,000 would no longer be jailed, but would also be kept under supervision or made to do community service.
This drew a blunt rejection from the Tories. They warned that some offenders were making a "mockery" of the current system by refusing to pay their fines and that if a court decided a fine was an appropriate sentence, it should be collected from wages or benefits.
Ministers will study the report before announcing whether or not to adopt the proposals.
About 85,000 fines are handed down by the courts in Scotland every year, accounting for almost two-thirds of all punishments. But about 6,000 Scots - 7 per cent of those fined - are imprisoned every year for non-payment.
