Court Service figures - Use of the court ‘poor box’ a bit rich

The use of the “poor box” to avoid criminal convictions and fines is a strange, bizarre and constitutionally dubious practice that has become increasingly part of judicial

Figures from the Courts Service show €1,533,610 went to needy causes in lieu of fines or convictions for mostly minor offences across district courts in 2016, a rise of €200,000 on the 2015 figure. Sixty percent involved road-traffic offences.

Unlike normal fines or convictions, there is little or no