Regulation of punishment in the form of fine under the criminal legislation of some European countries (on the example of Norway, Bulgaria, Switzerland, and Poland)

The paper analyzes the criminal legislation of such European countries as Norway, Bulgaria, Switzerland, and Poland. The author studies the experience of these countries in regulating fines as criminal penalties. Attention is drawn to the fact that a fine abroad is a punishment used quite frequently, it is recognized as a valid alternative to imprisonment, it does not have large variations in the methods of calculation, and it is possible to replace it with imprisonment in case of non-payment. In addition, the deferring of payment of a fine to a minor convicted is considered positive, as well as the possibility of compulsory collection of the fine at the expense of the property of the convicted person in the event of his death. In general, the author concludes that the experience of foreign countries can be taken into account by domestic legislator when further improving the criminal law in relation to a fine.