4 ms·

"In recent years at least 70 people have been jailed for non-payment of fines associated with TV licensing offences." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandr

• ceejayoz 11y ago
  70 "in recent years" versus 155,000 convicted of not paying it just last year? I'm guessing they were jailed for more than just simple "I didn't pay".
  • vixen99 11y ago
    "Women make up about 70% of those prosecuted and convicted, and half of those jailed for not paying the fine. When people fail to pay other utilities, such as energy companies, they are guilty of a civil offence, not a criminal one, and they cannot be prosecuted and fined for falling behind with their payments. Civil action can be taken for recovery, but without fines and jail terms." http://freedomsfloodgates.com/2015/03/20/non-payment-of-bbc-licence-fee-accounts-for-10-of-prosecutions/ http://freedomsfloodgates.com/2015/03/20/non-payment-of-bbc-...
  • DanBC 11y ago
    "I can't afford to pay the licence" gets you a criminal conviction. "I can't afford to pay the fines from that conviction" gets you jail time. The disproportion in genders is possibly to do with difference in response when challenged by TVLA. I quite like the idea of the licence fee but there are some really troubling aspects to it.
• mike-cardwell 11y ago
  Sentences like, "fines associated with TV licensing offences," set alarm bells ringing in my head.
  • DanBC 11y ago
    Why?
    • mike-cardwell 11y ago
      Sounds like something a politician would say when they're trying to trick you into believing something other than what they are saying.