חוק העונשין (תיקון מס' 149), התשפ"ד–2024Penal Law (Amendment No. 149), 2024 · automatic translation · suggest a correction

Official summary of the law (Knesset)

The Law deals with late-payment surcharges for delays in paying criminal fines, whether imposed by a court at the conclusion of a criminal proceeding under the Penal Law, or imposed as a fine given by way of a 'fine option' by an inspector or police officer, under the Criminal Procedure Law or the Administrative Offenses Law. The purpose of the Amendment is to create an incentive for timely payment of fines, without placing excessive burden on the debtor. The Law establishes that the late-payment surcharge on a fine not paid on time will stand at 30% of the fine's principal or the portion not yet paid, instead of the 50% that was set in the law prior to the Amendment. It further establishes that from that date until actual payment, shekel-denominated interest and late-payment fees will be added to the fine's principal, so that instead of an additional late-payment surcharge of 5% every six months during the period of delay in payment, the provisions of the Adjudication of Interest and Linkage Law, 1961 will apply, and late-payment fees will be added to the debt once every three months, without a 'compound interest' mechanism. In doing so, the Law completes the reform made in the area of late-payment surcharges in the Adjudication of Interest and Linkage Law (Amendment No. 9), 2023, and leads to late-payment fees and shekel interest, as defined in Amendment No. 9, being added to most debts not paid on time, until actual payment - civil, administrative and criminal debts. The Law will enter into force on 1 January 2025.

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Sponsors

Yonatan Mashriki, Youssef Atauna, Ahmad Tibi, Yosef Taieb, Yinon Azoulay, Ron Katz