Department for Constitutional Affairs - Legislation - Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill

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Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill

The Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill includes a range of Government's proposals including: reform of the tribunal system; changes to the eligibility requirements for appointment to judicial office; unification of the law relating to enforcement by seizure of goods and regulation of bailiffs; measures to increase the effectiveness of the enforcement of civil court judgments, measures to protect the over-indebted and immunity from seizure for cultural property on loan to the UK. The Bill was published in draft on 25 July 2006 and introduced in the House of Lords on 16 November 2006.

Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill and supporting documents
Legislative passage
Background and useful information
Contact us

Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill and supporting documents

The Bill was published in draft on 25 July 2006 and introduced in the House of Lords on 16 November 2006.

Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill
Explanatory notes
Regulatory Impact Assessment
Draft Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill
Draft Explanatory notes [PDF 376 kb, 122 pages]
Draft Regulatory Impact Statement

Policy statement on delegated powers

This policy statement on the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill details the delegated powers contained within each part of the Bill and explain their intended use. It was published in March 2007, and covers:

tribunals and inquiries
judicial appointments
enforcement by taking control of goods
enforcement of judgement orders
debt management relief

Detailed policy statement on delegated powers [PDF 532kb, 64 pages]

Legislative passage: Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill

House	Stage	Date
Lords	Introduction	16 November 2006
Lords	Publication	17 November 2006
Lords	Second reading	29 November 2006
Lords	Grand Committee	13 December 2006
Lords	Grand Committee	14 December 2006
Lords	Report	31 January 2007
Lords	Third Reading	20 February 2007
Commons	Second Reading	5 March 2007

Background and useful information

The main effects of the Bill are to:

create a new simplified statutory framework for tribunals to provide coherence and enable future reform;
unify the tribunals judiciary under a Senior President;
amend the existing threshold criteria for eligibility for appointment to judicial office in order to enable a wider range of applicants to apply;
unify the law relating to enforcement by seizure and sale of goods, including power of entry to premises;
allow creditors with claims in the civil court to be able to enforce their judgments more effectively; and
introduce a package of measures to help those who are willing and able to pay off their debts over time and a new personal insolvency procedure for some people who have fallen into debt but have no foreseeable way out of it.
provide immunity from seizure to objects which have been lent to this country from overseas to be included in a temporary exhibition at a museum or gallery.

The Bill has its basis in a number of White Papers and consultation papers including:

the White Paper Transforming Public Services: Complaints Redress and Tribunals, published in July 2004;
the consultation paper Increasing Diversity in the Judiciary published in October 2004;
the White Paper Effective Enforcement published in March 2003;
the consultation paper A Choice of Paths: Better Options to Manage Over-Indebtedness and multiple debt relief published in July 2004; and
a consultation paper Relief for the Indebted: an Alternative to Bankruptcy, published in March 2005.
the consultation paper Providing immunity from seizure for international works of art on loan in the UK published on 8 March 2006.

Contact us

Comments should be sent to:

The Tribunal Reform Team
1st floor
4 Abbey Orchard Street
London SW1P 2HT

As part of new Public Bill Committee procedures in the Commons, stakeholders and the wider public are able to submit written representations about Bills direct to the House of Commons Scrutiny Unit. For more information about this, please go the parliamentary website:

If you do wish to provide evidence on the Bill, your submission should be e-mailed the House of Commons scrutiny unit. If you are unable to submit this electronically, it can be posted to: Charlotte Littleboy, deputy head (Legislation), Scrutiny unit, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA.