Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980

75 Power to dispense with immediate payment. E+W

(1) A magistrates’ court by whose conviction or order a sum is adjudged to be paid may, instead of requiring immediate payment, allow time for payment, or order payment by instalments.

(2) Where a magistrates’ court has allowed time for payment, the court may, on application by or on behalf of the person liable to make the payment, allow further time or order payment by instalments.

[F1 (2A) An order under this section that a lump sum required to be paid under a maintenance order shall be paid by instalments (a “maintenance instalments order”) shall be treated for the purposes of sections 59, 59B and 60 above as a maintenance order.

(2B) Subsections (5) and (7) of section 59 above (including those subsections as they apply for the purposes of section 60 above) shall have effect in relation to a maintenance instalments order—

(a) as if in subsection (5), paragraph (c) and the word “and” immediately preceding it were omitted; and

(b) as if in subsection (7)—

(i) the reference to the maintenance order were a reference to the maintenance order in respect of which the maintenance instalments order in question is made;

(ii) for the words “the person who applied for the maintenance order” there were substituted “the debtor”.

(2C) Section 60 above shall have effect in relation to a maintenance instalments order as if in subsection (7), paragraph (c) and the word “and” immediately preceding it were omitted.]

(3) Where a court has ordered payment by instalments and default is made in the payment of any one instalment, proceedings may be taken as if the default had been made in the payment of all the instalments then unpaid.

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 75(2A)-(2C) inserted (1.4.1992) by Maintenance Enforcement Act 1991 (c. 17, SIF 49:3), s. 11(1), Sch. 2 para.6; S.I. 1992/455, art.2.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 75 extended (with modifications) by Legal Aid Act 1988 (c. 34, SIF 77:1), ss. 24(6), 30, Sch. 3 Pt. I para. 2(3)