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FINES (PENALTY UNITS) ACT, 2000
ACT 572
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
1. Fines to be expressed as
penalty units.
2. Pecuniary value of a penalty
unit.
3. Fines in existing enactments
converted to penalty units.
4. Interpretation.
5. Repeals.
SCHEDULES
First Schedule One penalty unit
is equal to ¢20,000.00.
Second Schedule
ACT 572
FINES (PENALTY UNITS) ACT,
20001(1)
AN ACT to provide for fines in
enactments to be expressed in
terms of penalty units, to
provide for
the amounts of fines in existing
enactments to be converted into
penalty units and to provide for
related matters.
1. Fines to be expressed as
penalty units
Where in an enactment provision
is made for the imposition of a
fine as a penalty for the
contravention
of a provision in the enactment,
the amount of the fine shall be
expressed in terms of a number
of penalty
units.
2. Pecuniary value of a penalty
unit
(1) For the purposes of this
Act, one penalty unit is equal
to the amount of cedis specified
in the First
Schedule.
(2) The Attorney-General may, by
legislative instrument, amend
the First Schedule except that
the
value of one penalty unit shall
not exceed a sum equivalent to
one third of the prevailing
national daily
minimum wage multiplied by
thirty.
3. Fines in existing enactments
converted to penalty units
(1) Subject to subsection (2),
where in an existing enactment
(a) provision is made for the
imposition of an amount of cedis
as a fine or penalty for the
contravention of a provision in
the enactment; and
(b) the existing fine is of an
amount specified in column 1 of
the Second Schedule,
there shall be substituted for
the fine the new maximum fine
specified in relation to it in
column 2 of the
Second Schedule and the new fine
shall be expressed and read as
the number of penalty units
correspondingly provided in
column 3 of the Second Schedule.
(2) Subsection (1) does not
apply to
(a) an existing enactment which
came into force on or after 1st
January 1997, or
(b) the fines in an existing
enactment amended since 1st
January 1997.
(3) Where an existing enactment
to which subsection (1) would
have applied, but for the
exclusion in
subsection (2) has a provision
of an amount of a fine expressed
in currency, the amount shall,
on the
coming into force of this Act be
read and construed as calculated
in terms of the equivalent of a
number
of penalty units based on the
value of one penalty unit as
specified in the First Schedule.
4. Interpretation
In this Act, unless the context
otherwise requires,
“existing enactment” means an
enactment in force immediately
before the coming into force of
this Act;
“fine” means a pecuniary penalty
to which a person may be liable
for breach of a provision in an
enactment.
5. Repeals
Spent.2(2)
SCHEDULES
First Schedule
ONE PENALTY UNIT IS EQUAL TO
¢20,000.00.
[Section 2 (1)]
Second Schedule
[Section 3 (1)]
Existing maximum fines New
maximum fines Equivalent number
of
penalty units
1. ¢2,000.00
2. ¢5,000.00
3. ¢10,000.00
¢20,000.00
¢50,000.00
¢100,000.00
1 penalty unit
2.5 penalty units
5 penalty units
¢,
,
py
4. ¢20,000.00 ¢200,000.00 10
penalty units
5. ¢50,000.00 ¢500,000.00 25
penalty units
6. ¢100,000.00 ¢1 million 50
penalty units
7. ¢400,000.00 ¢4 million 200
penalty units
8. ¢500,000.00 ¢5 million 250
penalty units
9. ¢1 million ¢10 million 500
penalty units
10. ¢2 million ¢20 million 1,000
penalty units
Endnotes
1 (Popup - Footnote)
1. The Act was assented to on
2nd February, 2000 and published
in the Gazette on 11th February,
2000.
2 (Popup - Footnote)
2. The section provided for the
repeal of the Penalties
(Specified Fines) (Amendment)
Law, 1991 (P.N.D.C.L.
251).
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