Administration of Justice Act 1970

23 Consolidated orders

(1) The powers of a county court under sections 13 and 14 of this Act shall include power to make an attachment of earnings order to secure the payment of any number of judgment debts; and the powers of a magistrates' court under those sections shall include power to make an attachment of earnings order to secure the discharge of any number of such liabilities as are specified in section 13(4).

(2) An attachment of earnings order made by virtue of this section shall be known as a consolidated attachment order.

(3) The power to make a consolidated attachment order shall be exercised subject to and in accordance with rules of court; and rules made for the purposes of this section may provide—

(a) for the transfer from one court to another—

(i) of an attachment of earnings order, or any proceedings for or arising out of such an order ; and

(ii) of functions relating to the enforcement of any liability capable of being secured by attachment of earnings;

(b) for enabling a court to which any order, proceedings or functions have been transferred under the rules to vary or discharge an attachment of earnings order made by another court and to replace it (if the court thinks fit) with a consolidated attachment order;

(c) for the cases in which any power exercisable under this section or the rules may be exercised by a court of its own motion or on the application of a prescribed person;

(d) for requiring the clerk or registrar of a court who receives payments made to him in compliance with an attachment of earnings order, instead of complying with section 19 of this Act, to deal with them as directed by the court or the rules; and

(e) for modifying or excluding provisions of this Part of this Act, section 9 or 20 of the Act of 1958 or Part III of the Act of 1952, but only so far as may be necessary or expedient for securing conformity with the operation of rules made by virtue of paragraphs (a) to (d) of this subsection.

(4) Subsection (3) above is without prejudice to any other power to make rules.