Administration of Justice Act 1970

Part IIU.K. Enforcement of Debt

Provisions restricting sanction of imprisonmentU.K.

11 Restriction on power of committal under Debtors Act 1869 (c. 62).U.K.

The jurisdiction given by section 5 of the Debtors Act 1869 to commit to prison a person who makes default in payment of a debt, or instalment of a debt, due from him in pursuance of an order or judgment shall be exercisable only—

(a)by the High Court in respect of a High Court maintenance order; F1...

(b)by [F2the county court] [F3in respect of a judgment]or order which is enforceable by a court in England and Wales and is for the payment of any of the taxes, contributions [F4premiums] or liabilities specified in Schedule 4 to this Act.[F5; and

(c)by the family court in respect of a High Court or family court maintenance order.]

Textual Amendments

F1Word in s. 11(a) omitted (22.4.2014) by virtue of Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 18(1)(a); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F2Words in s. 11(b) substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 9 para. 52; S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(c) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F3Words in s. 11(b) substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 18(1)(b); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F5S. 11(c) and word inserted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 18(1)(c); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

12 Restriction on magistrates’ power of committal for civil debt.U.K.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F6

Textual Amendments

13—26.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F7E+W

Textual Amendments

Enforcement by attachment of earningsU.K.

27

(1),(2).. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F8

(3)In section 1 of the Act of 1958 (introductory provisions setting out the scheme of Part I as respects registration in one court of a maintenance order made by another), after subsection (1) there shall be inserted the following subsection:—

“(1A)In the following provisions of this Act “maintenance order” means any order specified in Schedule 8 to the Administration of Justice Act 1970.”

Textual Amendments

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1The text of ss. 27, 29, Sch. 2, Sch. 11 are in the form in which they were originally enacted: they were not reproduced in Statutes in Force and, except as specified, do not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

28 Other provisions for interpretation of Part II.U.K.

(1)In this Part of this Act, except where the context otherwise requires—

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F10

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F10

  • “High Court maintenance order” [F11 “and family court maintenance order”]and . . . F9 mean respectively a maintenance order enforceable by the High Court[F12and the family court] . . . F9;

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F10

  • “maintenance order” means any order[F13, decision, settlement[F14, arrangement] or instrument] specified in Schedule 8 to this Act and includes [F15one] which has been discharged[F16or has otherwise ceased to operate], if any arrears are recoverable thereunder;

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F10

(2)—(5). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F17

Textual Amendments

F11Words in s. 28 substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 18(2)(a); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F12Words in s. 28 substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 10 para. 18(2)(b); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(d) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F14Word in s. 28(1) inserted (7.11.2012 coming into force in accordance with reg. 1(1)) by The International Recovery of Maintenance (Hague Convention 2007 etc.) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/2814), reg. 1(1), Sch. 4 para. 2(2)

F17Ss. 13–26, 27(1)(2), 28(2)–(5), 29(1)–(4), repealed by Attachment of Earnings Act 1971 (c. 32, SIF 45), s. 29(2), Sch. 6

SupplementaryE+W

29

(1)—(4). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F18

(5)In Part VII of the said Act of 1959 (administration orders)—

(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F19

(b). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F20

Textual Amendments

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C2The text of ss. 27, 29, Sch. 2, Sch. 11 are in the form in which they were originally enacted: they were not reproduced in Statutes in Force and, except as specified, do not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F21E+W

Textual Amendments