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FINES (PENALTY UNITS) ACT, 2000
(ACT 572)
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Section
1. Fines to be expressed as
penalty units
2. Pecuniary value of a penalty
unit
3. Fines in existing enactments
conversion to penalty units
4. Interpretation
5. Repeal
SCHEDULES
Schedule 1
Schedule 2
FIVE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-TWO
ACT OF THE PARLIAMENT OF THE
REPUBLIC OF GHANA
ENTITLED
THE FINES (PENALTY UNITS) ACT,
2000
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 connected matters.
DATE OF ASSENT: 2nd February,
2000.
BE IT ENACTED by Parliament as
follows
Section 1—Fines to be Expressed as
Penalty Units.
Where in any enactment provision
is made for the imposition of a
fine as a penalty for the
contravention of any provision in
the enactment, the amount of the
fine shall be expressed in terms
of a number of penalty units.
Section 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
Schedule 1 to this Act.
(2) The Attorney-General may by
legislative instrument amend
Schedule 1 to this Act 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.
Section 3—Fines in Existing
Enactments conversion to Penalty
Units.
(1) Subject to subsection (2)
where in any existing enactment
(a) provision is made for the
imposition of an amount of cedis
as a fine or penalty for the
contravention of any provision in
the enactment; and
(b) the existing fine is of an
amount specified in column 1 of
Schedule 2 to this Act there shall
be substituted for the fine the
new maximum fine specified in
relation to it in column 2 of
Schedule 2 and the new fine shall
be expressed and read as the
number of penalty units
corresponding provided in column 3
of the Schedule.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply
to—
(a) any existing enactment which
came into force on or after 1st
January 1997; or
(b) any fines in any existing
enactment amended since 1st
January 1997.
(3) Where any existing enactment
to which subsection (1) would have
applied, but for the exclusion in
subsection (2) has a provision of
an amount of fine expressed in
currency, the amount shall upon
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
Schedule 1.
Section 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 any pecuniary penalty
to which a person may be liable
for breach of a provision in an
enactment.
Section 5—Repeal.
The Penalties (Specified Fines)
(Amendment) Law, 1991
(P.N.D.C.L.251) is repealed.
SCHEDULE 1
Section 2(1)
One penalty unit is equal to
¢20,000.00.
SCHEDULE 2
Section 3(1)
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Existing
maximum fines |
New
maximum fines
|
Equivalent number of
penalty units
|
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1. ¢2,000.00
|
¢20,000.00
|
1 penalty
unit |
|
2. ¢5,000.00 |
¢50,000.00 |
2.5
penalty units
|
|
3. ¢10,000.00
|
¢100,000.00
|
5
penalty units |
|
4. ¢20,000.00
|
¢200,000.00 |
10
penalty units
|
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5. ¢50,000.00
|
¢500,000.00 |
25
penalty units
|
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6. ¢100,000.00
|
¢1
million |
50
penalty units
|
|
7. ¢400,000.00
|
¢4
million |
200
penalty units
|
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8. ¢500,000.00
|
¢5
million |
250
penalty units
|
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9. ¢1 million |
¢10
million
|
500
penalty units
|
|
10. ¢2 million |
¢20
million |
1,000
penalty units
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Date of Gazette Notification: 11th
February, 2000.
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