Bankruptcy Act 1914

The Bankruptcy Act 1914 (4 & 5 Geo. 5. c. 59) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which formed the primary source of UK insolvency law for approximately 70 years.^[1] It came into force on 1 January 1915 repealing a number of earlier enactments. It was substantially repealed by the short-lived Insolvency Act 1985.^[2]

Bankruptcy Act 1914^[a]

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to consolidate the Law relating to Bankruptcy.
Citation	4 & 5 Geo. 5. c. 59
Territorial extent	England and Wales[b]
Dates
Royal assent	10 August 1914
Commencement	1 January 1915[c]
Other legislation
Amended by	Administration of Estates Act 1925 Insolvency Act 1985
Status: Partially repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

The act is generally regarded as a consolidation of earlier enactments relating to bankruptcy.

Although the act is expressed solely with reference to the bankruptcy of individuals, section 317 of the Companies Act 1948 applied many of its provisions to corporate insolvencies.^[3]

Provisions

Repealed enactments

Section 168 of the act repealed ? enactments, listed in the sixth schedule to the act.

Citation	Short title	Description	Extent of Repeal
32 & 33 Vict. c. 62.	Debtors Act 1869	The Debtors Act, 1869	Sections eleven, twelve, fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen.
45 & 46 Vict. c. 75.	Married Women's Property Act 1882	The Married Women's Property Act, 1882.	Subsection (i) of section one, and section three so far as they relate to England and Wales.
46 & 47 Vict. c. 52.	Bankruptcy Act 1883	The Bankruptcy Act, 1883.	The whole Act, except sections one, two, thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four, one hundred and twenty-two, one hundred and forty-five, and one hundred and forty-six, and except sections forty-two and one hundred and twenty-seven so far as they relate to cases of orders under section one hundred and twenty-two of the said Act.
47 & 48 Vict. c. 9.	Bankruptcy Appeals (County Courts) Act 1884	The Bankruptcy Appeals (County Courts) Act, 1884.	The whole act.
48 & 49 Vict. c. 47.	Bankruptcy (Office Accommodation) Act 1885	The Bankruptcy (Office Accommodation) Act, 1885.	The whole act.
49 & 50 Vict. c. 12.	Bankruptcy (Office Accommodation) Act 1886	The Bankruptcy (Office Accommodation) Act, 1886.	The whole act.
50 & 51 Vict. c. 66.	Bankruptcy (Discharge and Closure) Act 1887	The Bankruptcy (Discharge and Closure) Act, 1887.	The whole act.
51 & 52 Vict. c. 62.	Preferential Payments in Bankruptcy Act 1888	The Preferential Payments in Bankruptcy Act, 1888.	The whole act so far as unrepealed.
53 & 54 Vict. c. 71.	Bankruptcy Act 1890	The Bankruptcy Act, 1890.	The whole act, except sections nine, twelve, and twenty-five, and subsection one of section thirty-one, and except section twenty-eight so far as it relates to cases of orders under section one hundred and twenty-two of the Bankruptcy Act, 1883.
54 & 55 Vict. c. 21.	Savings Banks Act 1891	The Savings Banks Act, 1891.	Section thirteen.
3 & 4 Geo. 5. c. 34.	Bankruptcy and Deeds of Arrangement Act 1913	The Bankruptcy Act, 1913.	Part I. (except sections fifteen and twenty-seven, and except subsection (1) of section eighteen so far as it relates to cases of orders under section one hundred and twenty-two of the Bankruptcy Act, 1883), and in section forty-two the words from "and Part I. of this Act" to "the Bankruptcy Acts, 1883 to 1913," and subsection (3), Schedule I. (except so far as it relates to section twenty-five of the Bankruptcy Act, 1890) Schedule II.

Short title, commencement and extent

Section 169(1) of the act provided that the act may be cited as the Bankruptcy Act, 1914.

Section 169(2) of the act provided that the act would not extend to Scotland or Ireland unless expressly provided.

Section 169(3) of the act provided that the act would come into force on 1 January 1915.

Legacy

Section 130 of the act repealed by section 56 of, and part I of the second schedule to, the Administration of Estates Act 1925 (15 & 16 Geo. 5. c. 23).

Notes

1. Section 169(1).
2. Section 169(2).
3. Section 169(3).