(1)This section applies where the court has power to impose a period of imprisonment in default of payment of a fine, or any part or instalment of a fine.
(2)Where this section applies, the court may, instead of imposing such a period of imprisonment as is mentioned in subsection (1) above, order that where the offender is in default he shall be disqualified from holding a licence to drive a motor vehicle granted under Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988 for such period not exceeding twelve months as the court thinks fit.
(3)Where an order has been made under subsection (2) above in default of payment of any fine, or any part or instalment of a fine—
(a)on payment of the fine to any person authorised to receive it, the order shall cease to have effect; and
(b)on payment of any part of that fine to any such person, the period of disqualification to which the order relates shall be reduced (or, as the case may be, further reduced) by a number of days bearing as nearly as possible the same proportion to such period as the sum so paid bears to the amount of the fine outstanding at the commencement of that period.
(4)Subsections (2) and (4) of section 248 of this Act shall apply for the purposes of this section as they apply for the purposes of that section.
(5)Section 19 of the M1Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 (proof of disqualification in Scottish proceedings) shall apply to an order under subsection (2) above as it applies to a conviction or extract conviction.
(6)The Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument vary the period specified in subsection (2) above; but no such order shall be made unless a draft of the order has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.]
Textual Amendments
F1Ss. 248A-248C inserted (20.10.1997 for specified purposes and otherwise 1.1.1998) by 1997 c. 48, s. 15(1); S.I. 1997/2323, arts. 3, 4, Schs. 1, 2
Marginal Citations