Legal protection

Community service for misdemeanours

If FINA does not collect a fine of more than 265,45 EUR within two years, the court will issue a decision on substituting the fine for community service

If you failed to pay your fine within the deadline determined in the misdemeanour decision, the court or other first-instance body which took the final decision will submit a collection order against your cash funds to the body in charge of the enforcement.
 
A fine for a misdemeanour can be imposed in a:
  • Final judgment
  • Misdemeanour decision
  • Misdemeanour order
  • Mandatory misdemeanour order 
The body in charge of enforcement is the Financial Agency—FINA.

If FINA does not collect, within two years from the receipt of the enforced recovery order, a fine in the amount of:
  • More than 265,45 EUR:
  1. It will notify the person who submitted the order
  2. The court will, depending on your place of residence, substitute the fine for community service and instruct you to do community service, with your consent
  • Up to 265,45 EUR:
  1. It will notify the person who submitted the order
  2. The body in charge of the misdemeanour proceedings will ask the Tax Administration to execute enforcement against other property you own. Fines in the amount of up to 265,45 EUR may not be substituted for community service.

Performing community service

The decision on substitution of the fine for community service will also determine substitution of the unpaid fine for prison in case community service is not accepted or is accepted, but is not performed.

In misdemeanour proceedings, community service can, under certain conditions, be applied as substitution for a fine, and the performance of community service falls within the competence of the municipal court of the convict’s place of permanent residence (sentence-execution court).

If you were convicted of a misdemeanour, you may not request yourself that your fine be substituted for community service, but are obliged to pay the fine for the misdemeanour.

A legal person or institution will give you an assignment in accordance with your physical and mental capabilities and financial situation and will keep a record of your performance of community service. It will also inform the sentence-execution court of your performance or failure to perform community service. You are not entitled to any compensation for community service. You can find the list of legal persons in the Documents section.

Documents