---
title: "Debtors (Scotland) Act 1880"
id: 86055537-dc45-4a4c-8d9f-1746ca70f046
authority: uk
place: "United Kingdom"
applies_also_from: []
kind: statute
in_force: true
publisher_url: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/43-44/34
attribution: "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
solon_url: https://solon.orangecat.ch/law/86055537-dc45-4a4c-8d9f-1746ca70f046
language: en
in_force_from: 1993-04-05
date_basis: publisher
status: consolidated
source_url: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/43-44/34/data.xml
read_on: 2026-11-09
sha256: 0adce0a5a28cdfd2a86f782de031caa6b644f85b1ed338451f983fbbe9af66e2
provisions: 7
---

# Debtors (Scotland) Act 1880

## Title and introductory text {#prelims}

Debtors (Scotland) Act 1880
1880 c.34
An Act to abolish Imprisonment for Debt, and to provide for the better Punishment of Fraudulent Debtors in Scotland; and for other purposes.
[7th September 1880]

## 1 Short title. {#section-1}

This Act may be cited for all purposes as the Debtors (Scotland) Act 1880.

## 2 Extent of title. {#section-2}

This Act shall extend to Scotland only.

## 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . {#section-3}



## 4 Abolition of imprisonment for debt, with certain exceptions. {#section-4}

With the exceptions herein-after mentioned, no person shall be apprehended or imprisoned on account of any civil debt.
There shall be excepted from the operation of the above enactment,—
1. Taxes, fines, or penalties due to Her Majesty, and rates and assessments lawfully imposed or to be imposed:
1. Fines imposed for contempt of court or under section 91 of the Court of Session Act 1868.
2. Sums decerned for aliment:
Provided that no person shall be imprisoned in any case excepted from the operation of this section for a longer period than twelve months.
Nothing contained in this Act shall affect or prevent the apprehension or imprisonment of any person under a warrant granted against him as being in meditatione fugæ, or underany decree or obligationad factum præstandum.

## 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . {#section-516.}



## SCHEDULE {#schedule}

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