| 释义 |
harassment of debtors
Behaviour designed to force a debtor or one believed to be a debtor to pay his debt. This is a criminal offence, punishable by fine, if the debt is based on a contract and the nature or frequency of the acts subject the debtor (or members of his household) to alarm, distress, or humiliation (Administration of Justice Act 1970 s 40). Harassment also includes false statements that the debtor will face criminal proceedings or that the creditor is officially authorized to enforce payment and using a document that the creditor falsely represents as being official. The offence may overlap with the crime of blackmail, but it will also cover cases in which the creditor believes he is entitled to act as he does (which might not amount to blackmail). |