The Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989

Valid from 27/03/2006

[F1Grounds for making orderN.I.

2.(1) The High Court shall grant an application for a bankruptcy restrictions order if it thinks it appropriate having regard to the conduct of the bankrupt (whether before or after the making of the bankruptcy order).N.I.

(2) The Court shall, in particular, take into account any of the following kinds of behaviour on the part of the bankrupt—

(a)failing to keep records which account for a loss of property by the bankrupt, or by a business carried on by him, where the loss occurred in the period beginning 2 years immediately preceding petition and ending with the date of the application;

(b)failing to produce records of that kind on demand by the official receiver or the trustee;

(c)entering into a transaction at an undervalue;

(d)giving a preference;

(e)making an excessive pension contribution;

(f)a failure to supply goods or services which were wholly or partly paid for which gave rise to a claim provable in the bankruptcy;

(g)trading at a time before commencement of the bankruptcy when the bankrupt knew or ought to have known that he was unable to pay his debts;

(h)incurring, before commencement of the bankruptcy, a debt which the bankrupt had no reasonable expectation of being able to pay;

(i)failing to account satisfactorily to the Court, the official receiver or the trustee for a loss of property or for an insufficiency of property to meet bankruptcy debts;

(j)carrying on any gambling, rash and hazardous speculation or unreasonable extravagance which may have materially contributed to or increased the extent of the bankruptcy or which took place between presentation of the petition and commencement of the bankruptcy;

(k)neglect of business affairs of a kind which may have materially contributed to or increased the extent of the bankruptcy;

(l)fraud or fraudulent breach of trust;

(m)failing to cooperate with the official receiver or the trustee.

(3) The Court shall also, in particular, consider whether the bankrupt was an undischarged bankrupt at some time during the period of 6 years ending with the date of the bankruptcy to which the application relates.

(4) For the purpose of sub-paragraph (2)—

immediately preceding petition” shall be construed in accordance with Article 322(c),

excessive pension contribution” shall be construed in accordance with Article 315A,

preference” shall be construed in accordance with Article 313, and

undervalue” shall be construed in accordance with Article 312.]