Jail for no TV licence? It just ain't so

In a letter published in the News Letter on November 3, 2018, Peter McEvoy, Banbridge, writes: 'All citizens of Northern Ireland are forced by law under threat of imprisonment to purchase of a TV licence if they own a TV regardless if they watch BBC or not.'
Letter to the editorLetter to the editor
Letter to the editor

This is inaccurate.

Non-payment of the TV Licence fee can never result in imprisonment.

The maximum penalty for watching TV illegally is a fine of up to £1,000 (plus court costs and a victim surcharge).

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A custodial sentence may only be imposed by the courts for non-payment of fines.

To find out more about when a TV licence is needed, your readers can visit tvlicensing.co.uk/info

Jason Hill, TV Licensing