The Magistrates' Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1981

Enforcement of orders for payment of money other than periodical paymentsN.I.

99.—(1) Where a court of summary jurisdiction in proceedings upon complaint otherwise than on conviction has ordered the payment of a sum of money (not being a sum to which Article 98 applies) and a person defaults in paying that sum within the time specified or (if no time is so specified) forthwith a resident magistrate or other justice of the peace may upon complaint made to him at any time after the expiration of fourteen days from the date of such default and before expiration of three years from that date—

(a)issue a summons for the appearance of the person by whom such payment is to be made before a court of summary jurisdiction F1...; or

(b)by warrant cause such person to be brought before a resident magistrate F2....

(2) A warrant shall not be issued under paragraph (1) unless the complaint is in writing and substantiated on oath.

(3) Where a person has been taken into custody in pursuance of a warrant issued under paragraph (1) for the purpose of causing him to be brought before a resident magistrate he shall, if it will not be practicable to bring him before a resident magistrate within twenty-four hours after he was so taken into custody, be brought, as soon as practicable, before a justice of the peace who may, if he thinks fit, discharge such person upon his entering into a recognizance for a reasonable amount to appear before a resident magistrate at the time and pace named in the recognizance; but where such person is not so discharged the justice of the peace shall commit him to prison and direct that he shall be brought before a resident magistrate as soon as practicable thereafter and in any case not later than eight days from the date of such commitment.

(4) Without prejudice to paragraph (5), upon the appearance of a person summoned before a court of summary jurisdiction or on proof that the summons was duly served on him, the court, or where a person is brought before a resident magistrate pursuant to a warrant issued under paragraph (1), the resident magistrate—

(a)may by order direct that any sum appearing to be due by reason of such default, together with the costs attending the issue and service of the summons, or the warrant, apprehension and bringing up of such person, as the case may be, and the making of the order and all reasonable charges of the distress shall be recovered by distress; and, in addition;

(b)may order that such person be detained and kept in custody, or, if he is not present that he be arrested and kept in custody until the day appointed for the return of the warrant of distress (not being later than a period of eight days commencing with the day after that on which the warrant is issued) unless he enters into a recognizance to the satisfaction of the court or magistrate for his appearance before the court or magistrate on that day.

(5) Upon the appearance of a person or proof of service of the summons on him as mentioned in paragraph (4), the court or resident magistrate may—

(a)instead of making an order under sub-paragraph (a) of that paragraph make an order committing the person to prison until the sum and costs in question are paid; or

(b)as well as making an order under that sub-paragraph make an order committing him to prison in default of sufficient distress until so much of the sum and costs as is not defrayed by the distress, and all reasonable charges of the distress, are paid;

and may issue a warrant to enforce the order of commitment.

(6) For the purposes of this Article—

(a)where it appears on the return to a warrant of distress that the money and goods of the person are insufficient to satisfy the sum and costs in question together with the costs of levying the sum, the court or resident magistrate may issue a warrant of commitment;

(b)where the court or resident magistrate has issued a warrant of commitment in the first instance in default of payment of the sum and costs in question and it is found impossible to execute the warrant, a warrant of distress may be issued.

(7) The court or a resident magistrate[F3 shall not] make an order of commitment under paragraph (5), or issue a warrant of commitment under paragraph (6)(a), unless it or he is satisfied that the default[F3 is due] to the wilful refusal or culpable neglect of the person who is liable to pay the sum and costs in question and the charges of distress, if any.

(8) The term for which a person is committed to prison on any occasion by an order under paragraph (5); or a warrant issued under paragraph (6)(a), in default of payment of a sum (including any costs and charges shall not exceed the period mentioned in Schedule 3 in relation to that sum and, in any event, shall not exceed six weeks.

(9) The commitment to prison of a person under paragraph (5) or (6)(a) shall not operate to discharge him from liability to pay the sum in respect of which the order or commitment was made or the warrant of commitment was issued; but where a person has been imprisoned under an order of commitment made in respect of his failure to pay any sum, then, notwithstanding anything in this Order, no such order shall be made in respect of that sum or any part of it.

(10) Where a sum such as is mentioned in paragraph (1) has been ordered by the court to be paid by instalments and default is made in the payment of any one instalment, this Article shall apply as if the default had been made in the payment of all the instalments then unpaid.

(11) Where proceedings have been taken in the Enforcement of Judgments Office for the payment of a lump sum ordered to be paid under Article 4(1)(b) or (d), 8(5), 13(2)(b) or (3)(b) or 22(2) or (8) of the Domestic Proceedings (Northern Ireland) Order 1980[F4 or Part 1, 2 or 6 of Schedule 16 to the Civil Partnership Act 2004], no order shall be made under this Article to enforce such payment.