Northern Ireland: debt too old to enforce (6-year limit)
In Northern Ireland, a penalty charge notice (PCN) is a simple debt. If the authority waits more than six years after the original offence before starting court action or obtaining an Enforcement of Judgments Office (EJO) certificate — and no such action was started within that time — the debt is legally barred and cannot be enforced. Note: Northern Ireland uses the Enforcement of Judgments Office (EJO) to collect unpaid debts, not bailiffs as in England.
Legal basis
Limitation (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (SI 1989/1339 (NI 11)) Art 4; Judgments Enforcement (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 (SI 1981/226 (NI 6))
How to identify this in your case
Calculate >6 years from contravention to last enforcement action. If no court action or EJO certificate within 6 years, statute-barred.
Beat It is not using this argument right now
We do not put this argument in appeal letters: it depends on dates and court steps an appeal does not cover. Scan your ticket — the engine looks for every other ground that fits.
Scan my ticketSources
- legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1989/1339
- legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1981/226
Related appeal grounds
- CRA 2015 Unfair Term / Disproportionate Charge (post-Beavis)
- E-scooter rental — not the named hirer (account compromise/family use)
- Enforcement policy not equality-screened (Northern Ireland only)
- Penalty Rule — Charge Out of Proportion to Legitimate Interest (Beavis 2015)
- Pressure Selling / Aggressive Enforcement — CPRs 2008 Breach
- Private car park signs not in Welsh where required