Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2016

Referral to the court: collection officer’s report etc.

7.—(1) Where a collection officer refers a debtor’s case to court under section 6, the officer must provide the court with a report which sets out—

(a) the action the officer has taken for the purpose of securing compliance with the collection order,

(b) the contact the officer has had with the debtor or, if the officer has been unable to make contact with the debtor, the steps the officer has taken to make contact,

(c) the information which the officer has obtained or verified under section 5(2) or (3), and

(d) the steps the debtor has taken to pay the sum due.

(2) In the case of a referral under section 6(6), the report under subsection (1) must state that the collection officer—

(a) is satisfied as to the matters specified in section 6(7), and

(b) is satisfied that section 23(5) (exceptions for vehicles used by disabled persons, emergency services, etc.) does not prevent the making of a vehicle seizure order.

(3) The collection officer’s report is admissible in proceedings before a court as evidence of the facts stated in it; and a court may, for example, take the report into account in deciding whether to issue a warrant under section 10.