PRACTICE DIRECTION 71 – ORDERS TO OBTAIN INFORMATION FROM JUDGMENT DEBTORS
This practice direction supplements Part 71
| Title | Number |
|---|---|
| Application notice – rule 71.2 | Para. 1.1 |
| Order to attend court – rule 71.2 | Para. 2.1 |
| Service of order to attend court – rule 71.3 | Para. 3. |
| Attendance at court: normal procedure – rule 71.6 | Para. 4.1 |
| Attendance at court: procedure where the order is to attend before a judge – rule 71.6 | Para. 5.1 |
| Failure to comply with order: reference to judge – rule 71.8(1) | Para. 6. |
| Suspended order punishing a person for non-compliance- rules 71.8(2) and (3)(a) | Para. 7.1 |
| Breach of terms on which order is suspended – rule 71.8(3)(b) | Para. 8.1 |
| Appendix A | |
| Appendix B |
Application notice – rule 71.2
1.1 An application by a judgment creditor under rule 71.2(1) must be made by filing an application notice in Practice Form N316 if the application is to question an individual judgment debtor, or N316A if the application is to question an officer of a company or other corporation.
1.2 The application notice must –
(1) state the name and address of the judgment debtor;
(2) identify the judgment or order which the judgment creditor is seeking to enforce;
(3) if the application is to enforce a judgment or order for the payment of money, state the amount presently owed by the judgment debtor under the judgment or order;
(4) if the judgment debtor is a company or other corporation, state –
(a) the name and address of the officer of that body whom the judgment creditor wishes to be ordered to attend court; and
(b) his position in the company;
(5) if the judgment creditor wishes the questioning to be conducted before a judge, state this and give his reasons;
(6) if the judgment creditor wishes the judgment debtor (or other person to be questioned) to be ordered to produce specific documents at court, identify those documents; and
(7) if the application is to enforce a judgment or order which is not for the payment of money, identify the matters about which the judgment creditor wishes the judgment debtor (or officer of the judgment debtor) to be questioned.
Order to attend court – rule 71.2
2.1 The order will provide for the judgment debtor (or other person to be questioned) to attend the County Court hearing centre serving the address where the judgment debtor resides or carries on business, unless a judge decides otherwise.
2.2 The order will provide for questioning to take place before a judge only if the judge considering the request decides that there are compelling reasons to make such an order.
Attendance at court: normal procedure – rule 71.6
4.1 The court officer will ask a standard series of questions, as set out in the forms in Appendixes A and B to this practice direction. The form in Appendix A will be used if the person being questioned is the judgment debtor, and the form in Appendix B will be used if the person is an officer of a company or other corporation.
4.2 The judgment creditor or his representative may either –
(1) attend court and ask questions himself; or
(2) request the court officer to ask additional questions, by attaching a list of proposed additional questions to his application notice.
Attendance at court: procedure where the order is to attend before a judge – rule 71.6
5.1 Where the hearing takes places before a judge, the questioning will be conducted by the judgment creditor or his representative, and the standard questions in the forms in Appendixes A and B will not be used.
5.2 The proceedings will be tape recorded and the court will not make a written record of the evidence.
Failure to comply with order: reference to judge – rule 71.8(1)
6 If a judge or court officer refers to a High Court judge or circuit judge the failure of a judgment debtor to comply with an order under rule 71.2, he shall certify in writing the respect in which the judgment debtor failed to comply with the order.
Suspended order punishing a person for non-compliance- rules 71.8(2) and (3)(a)
7.1 An order punishing a person for non-compliance with an order to attend court will be suspended provided the person subsequently attends as required by that order, either before a judge or, if the judge making the suspended order so directs, before a court officer.
7.2 Rule 71.3 and paragraph 3 of this practice direction (service of order) and rule 71.5(1)(a) and (2) (affidavit of service), apply with the necessary changes to such an order.
Breach of terms on which order is suspended – rule 71.8(3)(b)
8.1 If—
(1) the judgment debtor fails to attend court at the time and place specified in a suspended order punishing them for non-compliance; and
(2) it appears to the judge or court officer that the judgment debtor has been duly served with the order,
the judge or court officer will certify in writing the debtor’s failure to attend.
8.2 If the judgment debtor fails to comply with any other term on which the order was suspended, the judge or court officer will certify in writing the non-compliance and set out details of it.
8.3 A warrant to bring the judgment debtor before a judge may be issued on the basis of a certificate under paragraph 8.1 or 8.2.
8.4 The hearing under rule 71.8(3)(b) may take place before a Master or District Judge.
8.5 At the hearing the judge will discharge the order imposing punishment unless satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that—
(1) the judgment debtor has failed to comply with—
(a) the original order to attend court; and
(b) the terms on which the order imposing punishment was suspended; and(2) both orders have been duly served on the judgment debtor.
8.6 If the judge decides that the order imposing punishment should not be discharged, it will be enforceable immediately. Rules 81.9 and 81.10 make provision for enforcement of orders punishing a person for contempt of court.
Appendix B
General
EX141 Record of Examination (officer of company or corporation)
Available on the forms page.
