{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/debtors-scotland-act-1880/section-4",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/debtors-scotland-act-1880/section-4.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/Vict/43-44/34",
  "legislation_title": "Debtors (Scotland) Act 1880",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/debtors-scotland-act-1880",
  "path": "section/4",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "4",
  "heading": "Abolition of imprisonment for debt, with certain exceptions.",
  "text": "With the exceptions herein-after mentioned, no person shall be apprehended or imprisoned on account of any civil debt.\nThere shall be excepted from the operation of the above enactment,—\n1. Taxes, fines, or penalties due to Her Majesty, and rates and assessments lawfully imposed or to be imposed:\n1. Fines imposed for contempt of court or under section 91 of the Court of Session Act 1868.\n2. Sums decerned for aliment:\nProvided that no person shall be imprisoned in any case excepted from the operation of this section for a longer period than twelve months.\nNothing 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.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 4 para. 1 beginning “Fines imposed” substituted (S.) for para. 1 beginning “Taxes, fines” by Debtors (Scotland) Act 1987 (c. 18, SIF 45:2), s. 108, Sch. 6 para. 8, Sch. 7 paras. 5, 9(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Proviso and words repealed (S.) by Debtors (Scotland) Act 1987 (c. 18, SIF 45:2), s. 108, Sch. 7 paras. 5, 9(1), Sch. 8"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 4 restricted by Crown Proceedings Act 1947 (c. 44), ss. 26(2), 49"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/43-44/34/section/4",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T12:43:17.414185+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}