Chris Bennett: Let the punishment fit the crime

Financial sanctions imposed by the law have a tendency to miss the point, fines many have a limited effect in preventing wrong-doing but they should be commensurate with the misdeed and present some level of deterrent.

This week two very different cases came to public view which highlight the problem imposing pointless financial penalties. One also shows action can be taken to alter others’ behaviour.

In optics Boots Opticians Financial Services was handed the biggest possible sanction by the General Optical Council. £50,000 is certainly enough to put some smaller practices out of business, but what effect is it likely to have on a business with a turnover in excess of £350m? As Simon Jones points out in Optician’s piece the public deserves a more robust message to be sent out.