TRW & Co · Disputes & Arbitration
Enforcement of Judgments and Arbitral Awards Lawyers in London
Enforcement of judgments lawyers London creditors instruct turn paper victories into recoveries: charging orders, third party debt orders and High Court enforcement at home, registration of foreign judgments and awards in England, and recognition of English judgments abroad. With the Hague 2019 Convention now in force for the UK, the cross-border map has changed.
Key pointEnforcement should be planned before the claim is issued: the location of the debtor's assets, and how a judgment or award will be recognised there, often decides whether to litigate or arbitrate and whether a freezing order is needed.
At a glance
8% judgment interest
High Court judgment debts carry interest under section 17 of the Judgments Act 1838 at 8 per cent a year, set by the Judgment Debts (Rate of Interest) Order 1993.
The £600 and £5,000 rule
County Court judgments enforced against goods must go to the High Court at £5,000 or more and stay in the County Court below £600; between, creditors choose.
Six-year limitation
Section 24 of the Limitation Act 1980 bars actions on a judgment, and recovery of interest arrears, more than six years after it became enforceable.
Hague 2019 from July 2025
The Hague Judgments Convention has applied to the UK since 1 July 2025 for proceedings started after that date, including with EU states other than Denmark.
Awards travel further
Under the New York Convention, London awards are enforceable in Bangladesh, the Gulf, Singapore and China, subject only to narrow refusal grounds.
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What enforcement of judgments and awards covers
Enforcement of judgments lawyers London creditors instruct turn a court judgment or arbitral award into money. A judgment is only a declaration that a sum is owed; if the debtor does not pay, the creditor must use the court's enforcement tools to seize goods, take money from bank accounts, charge property or, in the last resort, push the debtor into insolvency. Where the debtor or its assets are abroad, the judgment or award must first be recognised in the place where the assets are.
The work covers three situations. First, enforcing English judgments and awards against assets in England and Wales. Second, enforcing foreign judgments and awards in England, for creditors who have won elsewhere and found assets here. Third, taking English judgments and London arbitration awards abroad, which for TRW & Co frequently means Bangladesh, the Gulf, Singapore and China.
Enforcement planning should start before the claim is issued. Knowing where the defendant's assets are, and how a judgment or award will be recognised there, affects the choice of forum, whether to seek a freezing order and whether a claim is worth bringing at all.
The tools enforcement of judgments lawyers London creditors use at home
The Civil Procedure Rules provide a menu of enforcement methods, and a creditor can use more than one at the same time. The right choice depends on what the debtor owns. Enforcement of judgments lawyers London businesses use will usually start by finding out.
| Method | Rules | Best used when | Points to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order to obtain information | CPR Part 71 | You do not know what assets the debtor has | The debtor, or an officer of a debtor company, is questioned on oath at court; non-attendance can lead to committal |
| Writ or warrant of control | CPR Parts 83 and 84 | The debtor has goods or business assets that can be seized and sold | Enforcement agents must follow the procedure in Schedule 12 to the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 |
| Third party debt order | CPR Part 72 | The debtor has money in a bank account or is owed money by a third party | An interim order freezes the funds; it only catches what is in the account when the order is served |
| Charging order and order for sale | CPR Part 73; Charging Orders Act 1979 | The debtor owns land or shares | A charging order secures the debt; a separate application is needed for an order for sale |
| Attachment of earnings | CPR Part 89 | The debtor is an individual in employment | Payments are taken by the employer over time; not available against the self-employed |
| Receiver by way of equitable execution | Senior Courts Act 1981, section 37 | Assets are hard to reach by ordinary methods, such as future income streams or interests in structures | Costly; justified where other methods would not work |
| Statutory demand, winding-up or bankruptcy petition | Insolvency Act 1986 | The debtor can pay but will not, or is insolvent and other creditors should share | A collective remedy; recovery may be shared with other creditors |
The GOV.UK guide to enforcing a judgment covers the forms used for smaller debts. For larger commercial judgments, specialist advice usually pays for itself in speed and recovery.
High Court or County Court enforcement?
Under article 8 of the High Court and County Courts Jurisdiction Order 1991, a County Court judgment enforced by taking control of goods must be enforced in the High Court if the sum is £5,000 or more, and in the County Court if it is less than £600. Between those figures, the creditor can choose. Debts under agreements regulated by the Consumer Credit Act 1974 stay in the County Court. Many commercial creditors transfer judgments to the High Court so that High Court Enforcement Officers, rather than County Court bailiffs, carry out enforcement.
Interest and time limits
High Court judgment debts carry interest under section 17 of the Judgments Act 1838. The Judgment Debts (Rate of Interest) Order 1993 set the rate at 8 per cent a year, a rate that has not changed since. County Court judgments carry interest in more limited circumstances. Under section 24 of the Limitation Act 1980, an action on a judgment cannot be brought more than six years after it became enforceable, and arrears of interest cannot be recovered for more than six years. Older judgments can still be enforced in some ways, but delay makes recovery harder and may require the court's permission.
Enforcing foreign judgments in England
A creditor with a judgment from another country must have it recognised before it can be enforced in England. The route depends on where the judgment came from. Enforcement of judgments lawyers London creditors instruct will identify the route before any application is made, because it determines the procedure, the defences available and the timetable.
- Administration of Justice Act 1920. Allows registration of money judgments from superior courts of many Commonwealth countries, subject to the court's discretion.
- Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act 1933. Allows registration of final money judgments from listed countries, such as Australia, Canada, Israel and Pakistan. Where the 1933 Act applies, the creditor must use it rather than suing on the judgment.
- Hague Choice of Court Convention 2005. Applies where the judgment was given by a court designated in an exclusive choice of court agreement between contracting states.
- Hague Judgments Convention 2019. In force for the UK since 1 July 2025, for judgments in proceedings started after that date between contracting states, including EU member states other than Denmark. Its status table shows the current parties.
- Common law. Where no statute or convention applies, the creditor sues on the foreign judgment as a debt, usually seeking summary judgment. The judgment must be final and conclusive, for a fixed sum, and from a court that had jurisdiction by English conflict of laws rules.
Registration under the statutory schemes is made under CPR Part 74. Defences are limited and include fraud, breach of natural justice, public policy and lack of jurisdiction. Our article on enforcing foreign judgments in England and Wales walks through each route.
Enforcing arbitral awards
Arbitral awards are often easier to enforce across borders than court judgments, because of the New York Convention, to which most trading nations are party. In England, section 66 of the Arbitration Act 1996 allows an award to be enforced as a judgment with the court's permission, and section 101 applies the same approach to New York Convention awards made abroad. Applications are made under CPR Part 62, usually without notice in the first instance.
The grounds for refusing enforcement of a Convention award are narrow, and enforcement of judgments lawyers London award holders instruct will prepare the evidence with those grounds in mind. They include incapacity of a party, an invalid arbitration agreement, lack of proper notice or inability to present one's case, an award outside the scope of the submission, irregular composition of the tribunal, an award not yet binding or set aside at the seat, non-arbitrability and public policy. The debtor has a short window to apply to set aside the order granting permission once it is served.
Enforcement against a state or state entity raises extra questions. The State Immunity Act 1978 limits execution against state property, with an exception for property in use or intended for use for commercial purposes. Planning which assets to target, and whether a waiver of immunity is in the contract, is essential. For arbitration strategy more generally, see our international arbitration page.
A judgment is a promise to pay; enforcement is where that promise is tested against the debtor's real assets.
The enforcement process step by step
- Map the assets. Search property registers, Companies House, court records and public sources; consider asset-tracing investigators and an order to obtain information under CPR Part 71.
- Choose the forum and route. Decide where to enforce first, which recognition route applies to a foreign judgment or award, and whether a freezing order is needed to stop assets moving.
- Recognise or register. For foreign judgments and awards, apply for registration or permission to enforce, or issue a claim on the judgment, and serve the order on the debtor.
- Secure what you can. Obtain interim third party debt orders over bank accounts and interim charging orders over property, which take effect before the debtor can react.
- Make orders final and realise. Convert interim orders into final orders at the return hearing, then collect funds from banks, sell goods through enforcement agents or seek an order for sale of charged property.
- Escalate where needed. Consider insolvency proceedings, a receiver, or committal for breach of an order to disclose assets, where ordinary methods have not worked.
- Coordinate abroad. Run parallel recognition proceedings in other countries where assets are held, keeping the strategy consistent across jurisdictions.
Documents and evidence to assemble
- A sealed copy of the judgment or order, or a certified copy of the award and the arbitration agreement.
- Evidence that the judgment is final and enforceable, including any appeal decisions, and, for foreign judgments, certified translations.
- Proof of service of the original claim and of the judgment, which matters if the debtor alleges a breach of natural justice.
- A statement of the sum due, with interest calculated and any part payments credited.
- Asset information: land registry titles, bank details from correspondence or invoices, shareholdings and vehicle or vessel registrations.
- For companies, details of directors and officers who can be ordered to attend for questioning.
Keep a record of every bank account the debtor has ever paid from or into, from invoices, remittance advice and correspondence. A third party debt order needs the bank and, ideally, the account details. Creditors who collect this information during the commercial relationship enforce faster when things go wrong.
Risks and common mistakes
Winning a judgment the debtor can simply ignore
A judgment against a company with no assets in England, or against a debtor whose assets are in a country that does not recognise English judgments easily, may be worth little. Enforcement of judgments lawyers London clients consult early can steer the dispute towards arbitration, a freezing order, security for the claim or claims against parties who do have assets, such as guarantors or directors who received company money.
Using the wrong recognition route
Where the 1933 Act applies, a creditor cannot bypass it by suing on the judgment at common law. Using the wrong route wastes time and costs. Equally, assuming that a convention applies when the judgment pre-dates its entry into force, or when the other country is not a party, leads to failed applications. The route must be checked against the court, the date of the proceedings and the current status of each instrument.
Letting the debtor move assets while you prepare
Debtors who see enforcement coming may transfer property to relatives, empty bank accounts or move funds offshore. Interim third party debt and charging orders are made without notice to reduce this risk. Where there is evidence of dissipation, a post-judgment freezing order may be justified. Transfers designed to defeat creditors can also be challenged under section 423 of the Insolvency Act 1986.
Overlooking competing creditors and insolvency
If the debtor enters insolvency before enforcement is complete, the creditor may lose the benefit of steps already taken. Funds caught by a third party debt order that has not been made final, or goods seized but not sold, may have to be handed to the office-holder. Creditors should move from interim to final orders promptly and watch for signs of insolvency in other creditors' actions.
Ignoring state immunity and sanctions
Awards against states and state-owned entities raise immunity questions at both the recognition and execution stages. Assets used for sovereign purposes, including most central bank assets, are protected. Separately, assets of sanctioned persons are frozen under UK sanctions regulations and cannot be dealt with without a licence from the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation. Both issues should be checked before costs are committed.
Taking English judgments and awards abroad
For many creditors, the assets that matter are outside England. The question is then how an English judgment or London award will be treated where the assets are. The answer varies by country, by the type of decision and sometimes by the date the proceedings began, so a short written enforcement memo for each relevant jurisdiction is worth commissioning before significant costs are spent.
Bangladesh. Under the Bangladeshi Code of Civil Procedure 1908, a decree from a superior court of a "reciprocating territory" can be executed directly under section 44A; otherwise, a fresh suit must be brought on the foreign judgment. There is no publicly maintained, up-to-date list of reciprocating territories, so the route for an English judgment must be confirmed with Bangladeshi counsel. Bangladesh has been a party to the New York Convention since 1992, and its Arbitration Act 2001 provides for enforcement of foreign awards through the courts, subject to limited refusal grounds including public policy.
In practice, enforcement of judgments lawyers London creditors work with will compare both routes before a dispute starts: an exclusive English jurisdiction clause may be ideal for assets in England, while a London arbitration clause is usually the safer choice where the counterparty's assets are in Bangladesh. See our guides to enforcing an English judgment in Bangladesh and to enforcing a London award in Bangladesh, and our UK–Bangladesh disputes page.
The EU. The UK is no longer part of the EU's judgments regime. The Hague 2019 Convention helps for proceedings started from 1 July 2025; for older judgments, recognition depends on each member state's national law or the 2005 Hague Convention where an exclusive choice of court agreement applies.
The Gulf, Singapore and China. All are New York Convention parties, so London awards are generally the more reliable route. Recognition of English court judgments in the UAE and mainland China depends on local law and conditions such as reciprocity, and local counsel is essential. Singapore has a statutory registration regime for judgments from designated countries, alongside common law enforcement.
How TRW & Co helps
TRW & Co's London office is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Our enforcement of judgments lawyers London team acts for creditors and award holders, and for debtors challenging registration or enforcement. With offices in Dhaka, Singapore and Dubai, we coordinate recognition across borders.
Asset tracing and strategy
We identify assets in England and abroad, and design an enforcement plan that targets the most valuable and reachable assets first, with interim orders where speed matters.
Domestic enforcement
We obtain third party debt orders, charging orders and orders for sale, transfer judgments for High Court enforcement and bring Part 71 examinations and committal applications.
Foreign judgments in England
We register judgments under the 1920 and 1933 Acts and the Hague Conventions, or bring common law claims on foreign judgments, and resist registration where defences exist.
Arbitral awards
We apply for permission to enforce awards under sections 66 and 101 of the Arbitration Act 1996, and advise on state immunity and sanctions issues before enforcement starts.
Bangladesh enforcement
With our Dhaka colleagues, we advise on executing English judgments and enforcing London awards in Bangladesh, including service, translation and local court procedure.
Insolvency-based enforcement
Where a debtor will not pay, we advise on statutory demands and petitions, working with our insolvency litigation colleagues and our debt recovery team.
Browse our practice areas, or contact us to discuss a judgment or award.
Checklist for decision-makers
- Where are the debtor's assets, and what type are they: land, bank balances, receivables, shares or goods?
- Is the judgment or award final, and has the time for appeal or challenge passed?
- Which recognition route applies in each country where assets are held?
- Can interim orders be obtained without notice before the debtor reacts?
- Is there a risk of dissipation that justifies a freezing order?
- Is the debtor a state, state entity or sanctioned person?
- Is insolvency proceedings a better lever than individual enforcement, or a risk to it?
- Have six-year limitation periods for interest and actions on the judgment been diarised?
Enforcement of judgments lawyers London creditors work with will revisit this list as assets are found and the debtor responds, because enforcement is rarely a single step.
Frequently asked questions
01The court has given me judgment but the debtor will not pay. What happens next?
You must enforce the judgment yourself; the court does not collect the money automatically. The first step is often to find out what the debtor owns, using an order to obtain information if necessary. Then choose the right method: a third party debt order for bank accounts, a charging order for property, a writ of control for goods, or a statutory demand or petition where the debtor can pay but will not. Several methods can be used together.
02How long do I have to enforce a judgment?
Under section 24 of the Limitation Act 1980, an action on a judgment must be brought within six years of the date it became enforceable, and no more than six years of interest arrears can be recovered. Some enforcement steps on older judgments need the court's permission. In practice, delay makes enforcement harder because assets move and debtors become harder to trace, so act promptly.
03Can a foreign judgment be enforced in England?
Yes, but it must first be recognised. Judgments from countries covered by the Administration of Justice Act 1920 or the Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act 1933 can be registered. The Hague Conventions of 2005 and 2019 apply to judgments from contracting states in qualifying cases. Otherwise, the creditor sues on the judgment at common law, usually applying for summary judgment. Defences are limited to matters such as fraud, breach of natural justice, public policy and lack of jurisdiction.
04Is an arbitration award easier to enforce than a court judgment?
Across borders, usually yes. Under the New York Convention, courts in contracting states must recognise and enforce foreign awards subject only to narrow grounds for refusal, and almost all major trading nations are parties. Court judgments rely on a patchwork of bilateral schemes, conventions and local law. Within England, an award is enforced by obtaining the court's permission to enforce it as a judgment, after which the same enforcement tools are available.
05Can I enforce an English judgment in Bangladesh?
Possibly, but the route needs checking. Bangladesh's Code of Civil Procedure allows direct execution of decrees from superior courts of reciprocating territories under section 44A; otherwise a new suit must be brought on the judgment. There is no current public list of reciprocating territories, so we confirm the position with our Dhaka colleagues. A London arbitration award is often a stronger option, because Bangladesh is a party to the New York Convention and enforces foreign awards under its Arbitration Act 2001.
06What if the debtor is a foreign state or state-owned company?
The State Immunity Act 1978 affects both whether a state can be sued and whether its property can be seized. Execution is generally possible only against property in use or intended for use for commercial purposes, unless the state has waived immunity. Central bank assets enjoy strong protection. Careful asset identification and a review of any waiver in the contract are needed before enforcement begins.
07Should I transfer my County Court judgment to the High Court?
Often, yes, for commercial debts. Where you want to enforce against goods and the sum is £5,000 or more, the High Court is mandatory; between £600 and £5,000 you can choose. High Court Enforcement Officers are generally considered effective at commercial enforcement. Judgments under regulated consumer credit agreements must stay in the County Court. Enforcement of judgments lawyers London creditors instruct will weigh speed, cost and the debtor's assets before deciding.
Sources and official materials
- GOV.UK: Enforce a judgment — Official guide to enforcement methods and forms
- High Court and County Courts Jurisdiction Order 1991, article 8 — £600 and £5,000 enforcement thresholds
- Limitation Act 1980, section 24 — Time limit for actions on judgments
- Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act 1933 — Registration of judgments from listed countries
- HCCH 2019 Judgments Convention status table — Current contracting parties
- New York Convention — Recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards
- Arbitration Act 1996 — Sections 66 and 101 on enforcing awards
General information only, current as at 21 October 2026. It is not legal advice and does not create a solicitor–client relationship. It reflects the law of England and Wales unless stated otherwise; Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate legal systems, and the law changes frequently. Check current official sources and take advice on the facts of your matter.