The standard scale is a system in Commonwealth law whereby financial criminal penalties in legislation have maximum levels set against a standard scale. Then, when inflation makes it necessary to increase the levels of the fines the legislators need to modify only the scale rather than every individual piece of legislation. In English law, the reference in legislation will typically appear as:
Legislation and level of fines
Australia
Channel Islands
Guernsey
uses the UK standard scale for adopted UK legislation, and its own scale for legislation originating in the States of Guernsey. Guernsey's dependencies of Alderney and Sark have their own distinct scales, although these are generally in line with the Guernsey scale.
The Uniform Scale of Fines Law 1989 as amended by The Uniform Scale of Fines Ordinance 2007.
Level on the scale
Maximum fine
1
£500
2
£1,000
3
£2,000
4
£5,000
5
£10,000
Sark
Sark has its own standard scale, which is normally maintained at the same levels as Guernsey's.
The Uniform Scale of Fines Law, 1989 as amended by the Uniform Scale of Fines Ordinance, 1992, the Uniform Scale of Fines Ordinance, 2004, and the Uniform Scale of Fines Ordinance, 2006.
Above amounts. In respect of Acts of Parliament that extend to the Isle of Man the UK standard scale is used.
Interpretation Act 2015
Criminal Justice Act 1982 as extended to the Island by the Criminal Justice Act 1982 Order 1983, and amended by the Criminal Justice Act 1982 Order 1992.
Schedule 1 to the Interpretation Act 1978 defines "the standard scale" for each United Kingdom jurisdiction with reference to the following statutes. The "statutory maximum", which is the maximum fine which can be imposed by a summary court for a triable either way statutory offence, is similarly defined by the Interpretation Act 1978 so as to correspond to the "prescribed sum".
With effect from 10 December 2007, the Criminal Proceedings etc. Act 2007 increased the "prescribed sum", and with it the "statutory maximum" from £5,000 to £10,000. The level of fines on the standard scale was unaltered.
Before March 2015, the level 5 limit was £5,000. This limit was removed by section 85 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. The level 1–4 limits were unaffected. Between 1984 and 1992, the standard scale in England and Wales was as follows:
Level on the scale
Maximum fine
1
£50
2
£100
3
£400
4
£1,000
5
£2,000
Hong Kong
Chapter 221 Criminal Procedure Ordinance, section 113B – Levels of fines for offences
Chapter 221 Criminal Procedure Ordinance, schedule 8 – Level of fines for offences
Fines specified in prior legislation were converted to points on the standard scale by section 113C.