Heftier fines for anti-social behaviour

A law proposal aimed at meting out heavier fines for acts of incivility is to be ratified by the Council of Ministers tomorrow. The cost of a fine imposable by the municipal authorities for anti-social behaviour is to rise from €250 to €350 for adults and from €125 to €175 for minors (from the age of 14). Other sanctions that can potentially be handed out include community work, restraining orders and temporary bans from specific places. The fines are levied by the municipal authorities and were introduced to reduce the workload of public prosecutors’ offices, allowing magistrates to give priority to more serious crimes. Acts of anti-social behaviour covered by this latest measure range from vandalism to being drunk and disorderly, but also include school truancy, illegal parking and – more controversially – wearing a niqab.