Federal efforts to collect court fines have drastically declined, with only 5% of fines for tax avoidance and other offences being paid, according to records from the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, says Blacklock's Reporter.“In the last decade, only 5% of the federal fines have been paid,” stated a Prosecution Service Transition Book. The report also revealed that the total value of unpaid fines has doubled since 2015, now reaching $272 million across 31,000 files as of February. This is a significant increase from 2015 when unpaid fines totaled $136 million, and an even steeper rise from 2005 when the amount averaged just $53.5 million.“The National Fine Recovery Program processes on average 5,000 files per year and recovers between $1 million and $3 million annually,” the report noted. The backlog of 31,000 files equates to a six-year search for those who have defaulted on their payments.No specific reason was provided for the low collection rate, with the Prosecution Service Transition document acknowledging it as a “problematic issue.” Despite the challenges, there is no statute of limitations on collecting these fines. Even those who have declared bankruptcy may still be required to pay their fines by court order.“Fine recovery is a complicated process,” explained Sujata Raisinghani, a former spokesperson for the Prosecution Service, in an earlier interview. She added that fines are only written off in cases such as death or disappearance. “There are many reasons for outstanding fines,” said Raisinghani. “The offender cannot be located, the offender does not have the means to pay at the moment, the offender declared bankruptcy and cannot pay until he has been discharged.”Fines are typically imposed for violations of the Income Tax Act, the Fisheries Act, the Employment Insurance Act, and other civil offences. The situation has prompted criticism from MPs who argue that unpaid fines represent a form of two-tier justice.“It’s as if justice exists only on paper,” said then-New Democrat MP Françoise Boivin when the value of unpaid fines first surpassed $100 million in 2009
Federal efforts to collect court fines have drastically declined, with only 5% of fines for tax avoidance and other offences being paid, according to records from the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, says Blacklock's Reporter.“In the last decade, only 5% of the federal fines have been paid,” stated a Prosecution Service Transition Book. The report also revealed that the total value of unpaid fines has doubled since 2015, now reaching $272 million across 31,000 files as of February. This is a significant increase from 2015 when unpaid fines totaled $136 million, and an even steeper rise from 2005 when the amount averaged just $53.5 million.“The National Fine Recovery Program processes on average 5,000 files per year and recovers between $1 million and $3 million annually,” the report noted. The backlog of 31,000 files equates to a six-year search for those who have defaulted on their payments.No specific reason was provided for the low collection rate, with the Prosecution Service Transition document acknowledging it as a “problematic issue.” Despite the challenges, there is no statute of limitations on collecting these fines. Even those who have declared bankruptcy may still be required to pay their fines by court order.“Fine recovery is a complicated process,” explained Sujata Raisinghani, a former spokesperson for the Prosecution Service, in an earlier interview. She added that fines are only written off in cases such as death or disappearance. “There are many reasons for outstanding fines,” said Raisinghani. “The offender cannot be located, the offender does not have the means to pay at the moment, the offender declared bankruptcy and cannot pay until he has been discharged.”Fines are typically imposed for violations of the Income Tax Act, the Fisheries Act, the Employment Insurance Act, and other civil offences. The situation has prompted criticism from MPs who argue that unpaid fines represent a form of two-tier justice.“It’s as if justice exists only on paper,” said then-New Democrat MP Françoise Boivin when the value of unpaid fines first surpassed $100 million in 2009
