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Enforcement warrants

Magistrates Court - civil

An enforcement warrant is used to enforce a judgment or money order and recover monies awarded to creditors in the civil jurisdiction of the Magistrate’s Court.

The court may order the payment of outstanding debts, restitution or compensation to a person who has suffered a breach of contract, property damage, financial loss or personal injury. This judgment or money order must be filed or registered at the court before it can be enforced.

A judgment or money order made in a federal or interstate court can be registered and enforced in Queensland if the person required to pay the money (enforcement debtor/s) lives or has their place of business in this state. Various Queensland tribunals and adjudicating bodies require their judgments or money orders to be registered in a court before they can be enforced.

Once a judgment or money order has been filed and/or registered in the Magistrates Court, the person owed money (enforcement creditor) can make an application to the court to issue an enforcement warrant to recover the debt.

Enforcement warrants can authorise the seizure and sale of property of the enforcement debtor/s, the redirection of money that is owed to the enforcement debtor or the redirection of their earnings.

The following legislation may assist you:

Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 1999 (particularly Chapter 19)

Last updated Friday, 7 March 2008 11:06