Income-based fines coming in the Netherlands?
In many European countries, the amount of a fine is based on the level of your income. This already exists in Finland, Sweden, Germany, France, and Spain. The Dutch Lower House is now contemplating the introduction of such a system.
Professor of Penal Law and Sentencing, Pauline Schuyt, points out the practical obstacles on Dutch news site RTL Nieuws. 'This often concerns people who have no regular income, so determining their actual ability to pay will be difficult.'
She also notes that there is no simple method to calculate a person’s ability to pay. Currently in the Netherlands, it is not yet possible to establish a person’s income taking into account their debts and fixed living expenses. 'This can only be done for people with a debt registered at the BKR (Dutch Credit Registration Office), or who have a fixed income or a mortgage for example. But this does not hold for a large group of people who receive a fine.’