Section 15 — Sentencing Act 2002: Community-based sentence

15 Community-based sentence (1) If a court is lawfully entitled under this or any other enactment to impose a community-based sentence or a fine, or both, it may impose a community-based sentence only if— (a) the court, in accordance with section 13 , does not regard a fine as the appropriate sentence; or (b) the court is not going to impose a fine because of either of the circumstances referred to in section 14 . (2) This section is subject to any provision in this or any other enactment that— (a) provides a presumption in favour of or against imposing a particular sentence in relation to a particular offence; or (b) requires a court to impose a particular sentence in relation to a particular offence.