A fine is a sum of money that a court orders an offender to pay.
Paying a fine may be required by the court for certain offences regardless of whether a conviction is made or not. The paying capacity of an offender should always be taken into consideration when setting an amount for a fine. The maximum penalty that can be imposed for a specific charge depends on the legislation and the Act that covers the offence. A fine may also be imposed along with another kind of sentence.