Petition Repeal the Enforcement provisions of Committal to Prison for non-payment of Council Tax

Under section 47 of The Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992 where the debtor is an individual and the billing authority finds (for whatever reason) the amount for distress is unfulfilled, then such authority may apply to the Magistrates’ Court to commit that debtor to prison.

This legislation, a replacement of the ‘Poll Tax’, is being increasingly used by the Local Government’s Councils to finance its administration through a debtors’ prison.

We call upon HM Government through the Attorney General, as guardian of the Public Interest, to review such legislation which we are of the opinion of is incompatible with International Treaties and Conventions, specifically:

“No one shall be imprisoned merely on the ground of inability to fulfill a contractual obligation.”