Problem of ï¬Ânes ‘lost in the post' to be tackled with new rules
By TONY GALVIN A JUDGE has expressed concern over the number of traffic fine notices that are going astray in the post.[private] Judge Geoffrey Browne said the state of the postal system needs serious examination for hardly a Court session goes by without someone stating that they never received notification to pay some traffic fine or other. Under current legislation, people must be given an opportunity to pay their traffic fines before a Court summons is issued. Fine notices are sent in the post, as are reminders, and only if there is no response to these communications is a summons issued. However, there is no way to prove in Court whether a person has received their fine notices in the post or not. Defendants who come into Court and say they never received a fine notice in the post generally have their cases dismissed. Some judges insist that those summonsed take the oath and swear they never received a notice. Other judges insist on some form of proof to back up this claim. However, it is understood that the regulations are to be changed to ensure there is a record of delivery of fine notices. It is hoped this development will eliminate much of the confusion surrounding this issue. At the most recent sitting of Tuam Court one defendant from Cummer told the Judge that there were three families in the area with the same surname as him and post was often mixed up. Judge Browne said he supposed they didn't pay each other's traffic fines before dismissing the case. Another defendant said he had moved to a new address five years ago and didn't get his fine in the post either. He said he now lived four miles from his old house. Judge Browne asked if the postman did not know him and where he now lived after five years there, before dismissing the case. Another defendant said he lived beside his parents and his post often went to their house. 'Are you not talking to your parents? Do they not drop over the post to you when it arrives at their house?' The defendant said the fine notice must have got mixed up with other post. The cases were dismissed. A Tuam woman told the Court that the first she knew of any fine was when a Garda arrived at her house with a summons to attend Court. She too had moved house. The Judge told her she should arrange for her post to be forwarded, before dismissing the case.[/private]