PART I – GENERAL PROVISIONS

CHAPTER VI – PUNISHMENTS

28. Fines
(1) Where a fine is imposed under any law, then in the absence of express provisions relating to the fine in that law the following provisions shall apply—
(a) where no sum is expressed to which the fine may extend, the amount of the fine which may be imposed is unlimited, but shall not be excessive;
(b) in the case of an offence punishable with a fine or a term of imprisonment, the imposition of a fine or a term of imprisonment shall be a matter for the discretion of the court;
(c) in the case of an offence punishable with imprisonment as well as a fine in which the offender is sentenced to a fine with or without imprisonment, and in every case of an offence punishable with fine
only in which the offender is sentenced to a fine, the court passing sentence may, in its discretion—
(i) direct by its sentence that in default of payment of the fine the offender shall suffer imprisonment for a certain term, which imprisonment shall be in addition to any other imprisonment to which he may have been sentenced or to which he may be liable under a commutation of sentence; and also
(ii) issue a warrant for the levy of the amount on the immovable and movable property of the offender by distress and sale under warrant:
Provided that if the sentence directs that in default of payment of the fine the offender shall be imprisoned, and if such offender has undergone the whole of such imprisonment in default, no court shall issue a distress warrant unless for special reasons to be recorded in writing it considers it necessary to do so.

(2) In the absence of express provisions in any written law relating thereto, the term of imprisonment or detention under the Detention Camps Act (Cap. 91) ordered by a court in respect of the non-payment of any sum adjudged to be paid for costs under section 32 or compensation under section 31 or in respect of the non-payment of a fine or of any sum adjudged to be paid under the provisions of any written law shall be such term as in the opinion of the court will satisfy the justice of the case, but shall not exceed in any such case the maximum fixed by the following scale—

(3) The imprisonment or detention which is imposed in default of payment of a fine shall terminate whenever the fine is either paid or levied by process of law.

PART X – SENTENCES AND THEIR EXECUTION

OTHER SENTENCES

334. Warrant for levy of fine, etc.
(1) When a court orders money to be paid by an accused person or by a prosecutor or complainant for fine, penalty, compensation, costs, expenses or otherwise, the money may be levied on the movable and immovable property of the person ordered to pay it by distress and sale under warrant; but if he shows sufficient movable property to satisfy the order his immovable property shall not be sold.
(2) The person may pay or tender to the officer having the execution of the warrant the sum therein mentioned together with the amount of the expenses of the distress up to the time of payment or tender, and thereupon the officer shall cease to execute it.
(3) A warrant under this section may be executed within the local limits of the jurisdiction of the court issuing it, and it shall authorize the distress and sale of property belonging to the person without those limits when endorsed by a magistrate holding a subordinate court of the first or second class within the local limits of whose jurisdiction the property was found.

PART X – SENTENCES AND THEIR EXECUTION

OTHER SENTENCES

335. Objections to attachment
(1) Any person claiming to be entitled to or to have a legal or equitable interest in the whole or part of property attached in execution of a warrant issued under section 334 may, at any time prior to the receipt by the court of the proceeds of sale of that property, give notice in writing to the court of his objection to the attachment of the property; and the notice shall set out shortly the nature of the claim which the person (hereafter in this section referred to as the objector) makes to the whole or part of the property attached, and shall certify the value of the property claimed by him, and the value shall be deposed to upon affidavit, which shall be filed with the notice.
(2) Upon receipt of a valid notice given under subsection (1), the court shall, by an order in writing addressed to the officer having the execution of the warrant, direct the stay of the execution proceedings.
(3) Upon the issue of an order under subsection (2), the court shall, by notice in writing, direct the objector to appear before it and establish his claim upon a date to be specified in the notice.
(4) A notice shall be served upon the person whose property was, by the warrant, issued under section 334, directed to be attached, and, unless the property is to be applied to the payment of a fine, upon the person entitled to the proceeds of the sale of the property; and the notice shall specify the time and place fixed for the appearance of the objector and shall direct the person upon whom the notice is served to appear before the court at the same time and place if he wishes to be heard upon the hearing of the objection.
(5) Upon the date fixed for the hearing of the objection, the court shall investigate the claim, and for that purpose may hear any evidence which the objector may give or adduce and any evidence given or adduced by a person served with a notice in accordance with the provisions of subsection (4).
(6) If, upon investigation of the claim, the court is satisfied that the property was not, when attached, in the possession of the person ordered to pay the money or of some person in trust for him, or in the occupancy of a tenant or other person paying rent to him, or that, being in the possession of the person ordered to pay the money at that time, it was so in his possession not on his own account or as his own property but on account of or in trust for some other person or partly on his own account and partly on account of some other person, the court shall make an order releasing the property, wholly or to such extent as it thinks fit, from attachment.
(7) If, upon the date fixed for his appearance, the objector fails to appear, or if, upon investigation of the claim in accordance with the provisions of subsection (5), the court is of the opinion that the objector has failed to establish his claim, the court shall order the attachment and execution to proceed, and shall make such order as to costs as it deems fit.
(8) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to deprive a person who has failed to comply with the requirements of subsection (1) of the right to take any other proceedings which, apart from the provisions of this section, may lawfully be taken by a person claiming an interest in property attached under a warrant.