The standard scale is a system in Commonwealth law whereby financial criminal penalties (fines) in legislation have maximum levels set against a standard scale. Then, when inflation makes it necessary to increase the levels of the fines the legislators need to modify only the scale rather than every individual piece of legislation. In English law, the reference in legislation will typically appear as: "... liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale, or both."

Legislation and level of fines

Australia

In Australia, the monetary fines for a breach of law is determined by however many penalty units the offence is worth, times the value of that jurisdiction's penalty unit. All states and territories set their own penalty unit values, which is supplemented by the federal penalty unit for federal offences.

Channel Islands

Guernsey

🇬🇬 Guernsey uses the UK standard scale for adopted UK legislation, and its own scale (called the uniform scale) for legislation originating in the States of Guernsey. Guernsey's dependencies of Alderney and Sark have their own distinct scales, although these are generally in line with the Guernsey scale.

Alderney

Sark

Sark has its own standard scale, which is normally maintained at the same levels as Guernsey's.

Isle of Man

🇮🇲 Since 1 January 2018, for Acts of Tynwald the Isle of Man uses a standard scale introduced by Section 55 of the Interpretation Act 2015. It replaced specified amounts specified within each piece of legislation. Above amounts . In respect of Acts of Parliament that extend to the Isle of Man the UK standard scale is used.

Jersey

🇯🇪 Above amounts .

Historic

United Kingdom

Schedule 1 to the Interpretation Act 1978 defines "the standard scale" for each United Kingdom jurisdiction with reference to the following statutes. The "statutory maximum", which is the maximum fine which can be imposed by a summary court for a triable either way statutory offence, is similarly defined by the Interpretation Act 1978 so as to correspond to the "prescribed sum" (in effect to the maximum (level 5) fine on the standard scale, except in Scotland).

England and Wales

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Scotland

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 The setting of the levels of the standard scale of fines in Scotland is a matter devolved to the Scottish Government. With effect from 10 December 2007, the Criminal Proceedings etc. Reform (Scotland) Act 2007 increased the "prescribed sum", and with it the "statutory maximum" from £5,000 to £10,000. The level of fines on the standard scale was unaltered.

Northern Ireland

Scale

The above amounts apply with respect to offences committed on or after the following dates: The United Kingdom standard scale was extended in respect of certain offences to two Crown dependencies:

Historical

Before March 2015, the level 5 limit was £5,000. This limit was removed by section 85 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. The level 1–4 limits were unaffected. Between 1984 and 1992, the standard scale in England and Wales was as follows:

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Fines specified in prior legislation were converted to points on the standard scale by section 113C. Above amounts .

Zimbabwe

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