Committal Order

A court order committing a person to prison for contempt of court. In the enforcement context, committal may be sought where a debtor has deliberately disobeyed a court order, such as failing to attend an oral examination or breaching the terms of a freezing order.

In practice

Committal applications are governed by strict procedural requirements under CPR Part 81. The respondent must be personally served with the application and given the opportunity to be heard. The court will only commit as a last resort and will usually give the contemnor the opportunity to purge their contempt. Sentences can be suspended to allow compliance.