Abolition of Poindings and Warrant Sales Act 2001
Encyclopedia
The Abolition of Poindings and Warrant Sales Act 2001 was an act by the Scottish Parliament
which abolished the previous practice in which a debtor’s goods are priced (poinding) in preparation for the enforced sale of the debtor’s possessions (warrant sale
) by amending the Debtors (Scotland) Act 1987. The original Bill was introduced in 1999 as a Member's Bill by Tommy Sheridan
MSP
, at the time the sole member of the Scottish Socialist Party
in the Parliament. Prior to being elected in 1999, Tommy Sheridan had been a leading figure in the anti-poll tax
campaign during which poindings were commonplace where protesters who refused to pay the tax had their household possessions valued and sold by local councils seeking to recover outstanding debts.
Though the original draft of the bill proposed that it would have immediate effect, this was subsequently amended so as to delay the introduction of the Act by over a year by which time it was repealed by the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002, asp 17.
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
which abolished the previous practice in which a debtor’s goods are priced (poinding) in preparation for the enforced sale of the debtor’s possessions (warrant sale
Warrant sale
A warrant sale was a statutory means of collecting debts in Scotland until 2001. Legal procedure for warrant sales was governed by the Debtors Act 1987...
) by amending the Debtors (Scotland) Act 1987. The original Bill was introduced in 1999 as a Member's Bill by Tommy Sheridan
Tommy Sheridan
Tommy Sheridan is a Scottish socialist politician. He has had various prominent roles within the socialist movement in Scotland and is currently one of two co-convenors of the left-wing Scottish political party Solidarity....
MSP
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
, at the time the sole member of the Scottish Socialist Party
Scottish Socialist Party
The Scottish Socialist Party is a left-wing Scottish political party. Positioning itself significantly to the left of Scotland's centre-left parties, the SSP campaigns on a socialist economic platform and for Scottish independence....
in the Parliament. Prior to being elected in 1999, Tommy Sheridan had been a leading figure in the anti-poll tax
Community Charge
The Community Charge, popularly known as the "poll tax", was a system of taxation introduced in replacement of the rates to part fund local government in Scotland from 1989, and England and Wales from 1990. It provided for a single flat-rate per-capita tax on every adult, at a rate set by the...
campaign during which poindings were commonplace where protesters who refused to pay the tax had their household possessions valued and sold by local councils seeking to recover outstanding debts.
Though the original draft of the bill proposed that it would have immediate effect, this was subsequently amended so as to delay the introduction of the Act by over a year by which time it was repealed by the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002, asp 17.