Bankruptcy Act 1988

85A

F81[Objection to automatic discharge from bankruptcy.

85A.(1) The Official Assignee, the trustee in bankruptcy or a creditor of the bankrupt may, prior to the discharge of a bankrupt pursuant to section 85, apply to the Court to object to the discharge of a bankrupt from bankruptcy in accordance with section 85 where the Official Assignee, the trustee in bankruptcy or the creditor concerned believes that the bankrupt has

(a) failed to co-operate with the Official Assignee in the realisation of the assets of the bankrupt, or

(b) hidden from or failed to disclose to the Official Assignee income or assets which could be realised for the benefit of the creditors of the bankrupt.

(2) An application under subsection (1) shall be made on notice to the bankrupt and where made by the trustee in bankruptcy or a creditor, notice shall also be given to the Official Assignee.

(3) Where it appears to the Court that the making of an order pursuant to subsection (4) may be justified, the Court may make an order that the matters complained of by the applicant under subsection (1) be further investigated and pending the making of a determination of the application the bankruptcy shall not stand discharged by virtue of section 85.

F82[(4) Where the Court is satisfied that the bankrupt has

(a) failed to co-operate with the Official Assignee in the realisation of the assets of the bankrupt, or

(b) hidden from or failed to disclose to the Official Assignee income or assets which could be realised for the benefit of the creditors of the bankrupt,

the Court may, where it considers just to do so, order that, in place of the discharge provided for in section 85, the bankruptcy shall stand discharged on such later date

(i) being not later than the 8th anniversary of the date of the making of the adjudication order, as the Court considers just, or

(ii) being not later than the 15th anniversary of the date of the making of the adjudication order, which the Court considers just in view of the seriousness of the failure to co-operate referred to in paragraph (a) or the extent to which income or assets referred to in paragraph (b) were hidden or not disclosed, or both, as the case may be.]

(5) Where the Court has made an order under subsection (4), no further application may be made under subsection (1).

(6) The making of an order under this section shall not prevent an application being made for discharge or annulment under section 85B.]

Annotations

Amendments:

F81

Inserted (3.12.2013) by Personal Insolvency Act 2012 (44/2012), s. 157, S.I. No. 462 of 2013.

F82

Substituted (29.01.2016) by Bankruptcy (Amendment) Act 2015 (60/2015), s. 11, S.I. No. 34 of 2016.