COURTS AND TRIBUNALS BILL [DRAFT]
 
KEY BENEFITS 

• Creditors with claims in the civil court will be able to enforce their judgments more effectively
• Introducing the regulation of enforcement agents to ensure that debtors who genuinely do not have the means to pay will be protected from the oppressive pursuit of their debts
• Reforms to existing court based enforcement methods
• Unification of Tribunals under a single organisation with a simplified structure of two tiers and the creation of the post of Senior President which will provide the tribunals judiciary with clear leadership and a single voice;
• Creation of a Tribunal Procedure Committee to simplify the procedure for the benefit of users and an Administrative Justice Council to focus on the needs of the public and users.
• Security Industry Authority to license and regulate bailiffs and other enforcement agents for the first time
• Bill will enable creditors to enforce civil court judgments against their debtors more effectively than at present and debtors will be protected from the oppressive pursuit of their debts
• This Bill will rationalise, simplify and modernise the tribunal system, so delivering improved services to the public and establishing common customer service standards;
• It will promote alternative and proportionate ways of resolving the disputes that come to the tribunals;
• The new service will work with original decision making Departments to achieve better partnerships when things go wrong and to provide feedback so that things improve.

TERRITORIAL EXTENT

• The Bill's enforcement provisions will apply to England and Wales. The new single organisation for tribunals will be UK-wide but existing devolved arrangements for tribunals will not be fundamentally affected.

CONTACT:

If you have any comments on the proposals you can email them to:

general.queries@dca.gsi.gov.uk