Legal Definitions - imprisonment for debt

Imprisonment for debt is when a court orders a debtor to be detained to force them to pay certain civil obligations. This remedy was usually only available when the debt arose from nonpayment of taxes or fines owed to the Crown, failure to pay court-ordered support or alimony, or failure to obey a decree ad factum praestandum.

For example, if someone owes taxes to the government and refuses to pay, the court may order them to be imprisoned until they pay the debt.

This practice is now considered outdated and inhumane, and most countries have abolished it. However, it was common in the past when there were no other means of enforcing debt repayment.