{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/insolvency-act-1986/section-264",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/insolvency-act-1986/section-264.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1986/45",
  "legislation_title": "Insolvency Act 1986",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/insolvency-act-1986",
  "path": "section/264",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "264",
  "heading": "Who may present a bankruptcy petition.",
  "text": "(1) A petition for a bankruptcy order to be made against an individual may be presented to the court in accordance with the following provisions of this Part—\n(a) by one of the individual’s creditors or jointly by more than one of them,\n(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(ba) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(bb) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(c) by the supervisor of, or any person (other than the individual) who is for the time being bound by, a voluntary arrangement proposed by the individual and approved under Part VIII, or\n(d) where a criminal bankruptcy order has been made against the individual, by the Official Petitioner or by any person specified in the order in pursuance of section 39(3)(b) of the Powers of Criminal Courts Act 1973.\n(2) Subject to those provisions, the court may make a bankruptcy order on any such petition.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 264(1)(b) omitted (6.4.2016) by virtue of Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 (c. 24), s. 103(3), Sch. 19 para. 6; S.I. 2016/191, art. 2 (with art. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 264(1)(ba)(bb) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Insolvency (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/146), reg. 1(3), Sch. para. 32 (with regs. 4, 5); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M1",
      "text": "1973 c. 62."
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 264 modified (1.12.1994) by S.I. 1994/2421, art. 11(2)(3), Sch. 7 para. 2 (as amended (1.12.2001) by S.I. 2001/3649, art. 469)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 264 amended (20.7.2001 for certain purposes and otherwise 1.12.2001) by 2000 c. 8, s. 372(1); S.I. 2001/2632, art. 2, Sch. Pt. I; S.I. 2001/3538, art. 2(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "S. 264 applied (with modifications) by S.I. 1986/1999, art. 3, Sch. 1 Pt. II (as amended (31.5.2002) by S.I. 2002/1309, art. 3(1)(4); (6.4.2016) by The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 (Consequential Amendments) (Bankruptcy) and the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/481), reg. 1, Sch. 2 para. 2(7)(a); and (8.12.2017) by The Insolvency (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/1119), reg. 1(1), Sch. 3 para. 1(2))"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C4",
      "text": "S. 264 applied (with modifications) (1.12.1994) by S.I. 1994/2421, art. 10(1)(a)(6), Sch. 4 Pts. I, II paras. 1, 8, Sch. 6 para. 2 (as amended (1.7.2005) by S.I. 2005/1516, art. 5(b); and (8.12.2017) by The Insolvency (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/1119), reg. 1(1), Sch. 2 para. 6)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "repealed",
      "affecting": "ukpga/1988/33",
      "affecting_title": "Criminal Justice Act 1988"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1986/45/section/264",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:55:00.443447+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."
}