Will decriminalising non-payment of the TV license fee lead to an increase in prosecutions?

[lokiuk]

Agreed. Plus, where Bailiffs do recover money, it is very often on the basis of £10 this week, £10 the next.
The whole system will quickly become v hard for the BBC to efficiently manage, as you suggest.

They can't be efficiently managing it now, not with Crapita involved

 

[lokiuk]

Pornhub it is then.

If pornhub hosted the BBC news, you could legally watch it but you'd be a sad tosser to want to with better content available

 

[Red Hander]

They can't be efficiently managing it now, not with Crapita involved

True, but the costs are much less at present.

 

[History_Man]

True, but the costs are much less at present.

Civil enforcement costs will go through the roof. The BBC will be lucky to get back 10% of what they believe that they are owed.

 

[UKRaider]

It’s not hard
People can pay for a licence, declare that they don’t need one (as per @ugly) or put videos on YouTube claiming they are harassed

....or declare that you don't need one THEN get harassed and threatened. In a few cases actually assaulted.
It is the being threatened by the cnuts FOR NO REASON that pisses me off greatly.
Video or no video on youtube.

As I said DO NOT SPEAK TO THE FECKERS! and Never ever open your door to them! Ignore totally.

Plenty of examples here - https://tvlicenceresistance.info/

 

[dingerr]

In a few cases actually assaulted.

Really?

 

[UKRaider]

Yes

 

[blackmetallic]

So, don't pay your TV licence and go to prison where you get TV for free

 

[lokiuk]

So, don't pay your TV licence and go to prison where you get TV for free

For poor pensioners, they might get treated better than in a care home as well

 

[Trackpen]

They can't be efficiently managing it now, not with Crapita involved

This may not be the right place, but ...
My wife has received an email reminder to pay her TV licence.
Very clever this, as we haven’t lived in the UK for almost 26 years, and she hasn’t been responsible for the licence since we got married over 30 years ago.
Of course, when we left the UK, email was hardly common, and not the sort of thing routinely demanded on an application.
Are we being too cynical in thinking this is a scam? (Heavy sarcasm)
My 90 year old mother is well versed in not even opening messages that haven’t come from a known source and, if in doubt, she will check with a family member.
Just a warning for the elderly.

 

[halo_jones]

This may not be the right place, but ...
My wife has received an email reminder to pay her TV licence.
Very clever this, as we haven’t lived in the UK for almost 26 years, and she hasn’t been responsible for the licence since we got married over 30 years ago.
Of course, when we left the UK, email was hardly common, and not the sort of thing routinely demanded on an application.
Are we being too cynical in thinking this is a scam? (Heavy sarcasm)
My 90 year old mother is well versed in not even opening messages that haven’t come from a known source and, if in doubt, she will check with a family member.
Just a warning for the elderly.

There has been a host of BBC licence fee scam emails too my burner email recently, par for the course. Your mother's carrying out the right drills.

 

[Moderator]

So, don't pay your TV licence and go to prison where you get TV for free

There is no prison sentence available to the courts for TV licence evasion. Fines or Conditional Discharge only are available for proven offences...


The sentencing range for TV licence evasion:

Offence category	Starting point	Range
Category 1	Band B fine	Band B fine
Category 2	Band B fine	Band A fine – Band B fine
Category 3	Band A fine	Conditional discharge – Band A fine

Sentencing Council

Prison (amongst other things) is available for non payment of fines but as a last resort and rare. It could therefore take a long time to get locked up to enjoy a bit of licence fee free TV.

You could eventually end up with hours of community service, picking up litter and dogshit with your local dross of society instead of going to HMP Teeveelounge.

 

[NSP]

There has been a host of BBC licence fee scam emails too my burner email recently, par for the course. Your mother's carrying out the right drills.

That kind of e-mail should be given a thorough ignoring even if it did originate from TV Licencing, really.

Julia Hartley-Brewer is discussing whether the licence fee is past its sell-by date right now, coincidentally.

 

[Taffwob]

I found this interesting.


I haven't checked out the veracity of his claims but it's a good point in principle.

 

[9.414]

I think your title is the difficulty. If it is decriminalised there will no longer be any prosecutions as it will cease to be a crime.

It will then carry no more weight or truth than the famous lie:
“Trespassers will be prosecuted.”

Trespass is a civil wrong and cannot be prosecuted.

 

[Bodenplatte]

I think your title is the difficulty. If it is decriminalised there will no longer be any prosecutions as it will cease to be a crime.

It will then carry no more weight or truth than the famous lie:
“Trespassers will be prosecuted.”

Trespass is a civil wrong and cannot be prosecuted.

That is quite correct, but for the sake of completeness it is worth adding that trespass can be aggravated in various ways, and these circumstances make it a crime.

 

[NSP]

I think your title is the difficulty. If it is decriminalised there will no longer be any prosecutions as it will cease to be a crime.

It will then carry no more weight or truth than the famous lie:
“Trespassers will be prosecuted.”

Trespass is a civil wrong and cannot be prosecuted.

Trespass can be prosecuted, but privately not criminally.

A prosecution is a prosecution. As a certain scaffolding firm hired by the building contractor developing the neighbouring plot to mine last year are currently finding out...

 

[dingerr]

Trespass can be prosecuted, but privately not criminally.

Trespass can be both private and criminal.

A prosecution is a prosecution. As a certain scaffolding firm hired by the building contractor developing the neighbouring plot to mine last year are currently finding out...

Are they being prosecuted (criminal) or has a claim been made against them (civil)?

 

[vvaannmmaann]

That is quite correct, but for the sake of completeness it is worth adding that trespass can be aggravated in various ways, and these circumstances make it a crime.

Unless pikies are involved of course.

 

[NSP]

Trespass can be both private and criminal.


Are they being prosecuted (criminal) or has a claim been made against them (civil)?

It's bog standard "Get off my land." "No!" and thus not aggravated (i.e. criminal) so private. They'll need deep pockets.