Legal Definitions - Debtor's Act of 1869

The Debtor's Act of 1869 was a law in England that changed how debtors were treated. Here are some of the things it did:

• It stopped people from being put in jail just because they owed money. There were some exceptions, like if the debt was owed to the government or if the debtor had money but refused to pay.
• It stopped people from being arrested just because someone said they owed money. The person had to be believed to be leaving the country before they could be arrested.
• It made it a crime to lie to get credit or to cheat people out of their money.
• It said how warrants and orders to pay debts would be carried out.

For example, before this law, someone who owed money could be put in jail until they paid it back. But now, that can only happen in certain cases. This law also made it illegal to cheat people out of their money, which helps protect people from fraud.