 The amount to be paid is specified by law, and courts have limited discretion to reduce the amount, or to waive the surcharge, even for defendants of limited means.The law journalist Joshua Rozenberg has reported cases where a surcharge levied against a young person became the responsibility of their parents - even when a parent was the victim of the crime in question.In some circumstances the Court may waive the Victim Surcharge where the Court orders compensation as part of the sentence.