Complainer, I hadn't thought of it in exactly those terms before. I don't want the courts clogged up. But I do want people to be treated fairly.
I'd support the use of digital speeding cameras everywhere, and a zero tolerance approach, so everyone who speeds gets caught, and fined... people would quickly get the message and slow down. The only change would have to be appropriate speed limits on all roads.
I'd support zero tolerance on all minor crimes, like broken lights, obscured registration plates, tax out of date... too many people being let off for these things, and many such people are serial offenders with no respect for the law... which is unfair on everyone else.
Many people wouldn't challange speeding tickets even if the penalties were the same in court,,as it's awkward to take a day off work to go to court... however now, with the threats of increased penalties it's a tough decision to go to court, even if you are being hard done by.. for example, if the speed limit sign is broken, obscured or missing, or if the speed gun doesn't issue a printed receipt, as was required a few years ago, and may still be (it was plainly written into the legislation), yet the guns didn't issue receipts, and the state issued fines for this, even though they knew they couldn't secure convictions in the courts. So people were intimidated, threatened and steam-rollered into paying fines which they shouldn't have had to pay, due to the imcompetence of the legislators, and the state not providing the guards with the correct equipment.
The guards are now considering a work to rule type thing, where they won't use their personal mobiles or Sat Nav systems... and it is a good point, why should they use their personal equipment in the course of their job?
Incidentally, does anyone know the name of the legal principle which disallows the state offering inducements for pleading guilty to crimes?, I would like to research it a little...
edited to add...
Here's a link to thread on Boards, outlining a problem with the Road Traffic laws, to do with a printout being needed for a sucessful speeding prosecution..
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=162528
This may or may not have been changed since, but people should be able to go to Court to offer this defence, without threats of increased penalties. It's the legislators that got the printout thing wrong, not the offending motorist.
I got a speeding ticket, once in ten years, but I didn't pay, as I intended to offer this defence, around 2005. But I never got a summons, but I did get a notice of a conviction in my absence, ... so I had to appeal on the grounds of no summons.. but the Guard said he posted it by regular post, which the judge accepted!!! Not by hand, or by registered post, but by regular post.So I had to appeal again to the Circuit Court, where the state chose not to contest the case... and so I 'won', but only after much heartache and days off work.. the point is I was left with the impression that the state will steamroller convictions, with the help of the district court judge, who up until then I thought were very fair and impartial. The Circuit Court Judge was very nice to be fair.