What is a Northern Ireland judgment?

A Northern Ireland judgment is a money judgment issued if you fail to repay money owed to a claimant, and the claimant has taken court action to retrieve the money.

Use TrustOnline when you need to check the Register

To confirm what is recorded on the statutory Register, you can search officially via TrustOnline.

Use TrustOnline to search the statutory Register

You should receive notification from the court explaining the details of the judgment, giving you the opportunity to dispute it. You may not receive the notification if you have moved address and not notified the claimant.

Once granted, judgment details are submitted to Registry Trust for inclusion on the public Register. We will contact you by letter using the court-provided information to let you know a judgment has been put onto our Register.

If the judgment is paid within a calendar month of the judgment date and proof of payment is provided to us, we will remove the judgment.

The Northern Ireland Register contains details of all undefended default, small claims and High Court judgments.

The information appearing on the Register is as follows:

  • Name and address the judgment was recorded against
  • Court name and case number
  • Name and address of defendant
  • Date and amount of judgment
  • Details of satisfaction once proof of payment is provided

The Northern Ireland Court Service does not add a date of birth to judgments, so these are sent without a date of birth.

We do not hold or publish claimants’ details, but these can be obtained from the Civil Processing Centre (Tel: 0300 200 7812) if you have the case number.

Northern Ireland judgments stay on the public Register for six years unless cancelled or set aside. Details and any amendments are passed to the credit reference agencies for inclusion in their records.

How to satisfy a Northern Ireland judgment

If you have a Northern Ireland judgment registered against you, you will need to pay the judgment in full in order to have it showing as satisfied.

If the judgment is not paid it will remain outstanding for six years from the date of the judgment – we do not currently hold partial settlement information.

If a judgment is paid within a calendar month of the judgment date and proof of payment is provided to us, we will remove the judgment.

If the judgment is paid after a calendar month, you can apply to have it marked as satisfied by sending proof of payment to Registry Trust.

We require a receipt or an original letter from the claimant stating:

  • The defendant’s name and address the judgment was recorded against
  • Case number
  • Court name
  • Amount of judgment
  • Date paid in full

Send original proof by post to Registry Trust Ltd, 3rd Floor, 12 Carthusian Street, London, EC1M 6EB (include a return address), or by email to info@registry-trust.org.uk.

For a search confirming an update, submit a £6 cheque payable to Registry Trust Ltd for each named person or business at a specified address, or pay electronically to Lloyds Bank Plc (Account Name: Registry Trust Ltd, Account Number: 00436189, Sort Code: 309368) noting the case number and defendant name.

We may need to contact the claimant if proof is insufficient. Judgments marked as satisfied remain on the Register for six years from the judgment date.

Removing a Northern Ireland Judgment

Northern Ireland judgments can only be removed from the Register if they are recalled by the court, entered in error, or paid within one calendar month from the date of the judgment.

Having a Northern Ireland Judgment Set Aside

To have a judgment set aside, contact the Civil Processing Centre on 0300 200 7812. If a court sets aside a judgment, they will notify us to remove it from the Register. You can check using your case number on TrustOnline.

Judgments paid within a calendar month

If the principal sum is paid in full within a calendar month from the judgment date, the judgment can be removed from our public Register.

We require a letter from the claimant stating the case number, court name, amount, and date paid in full. Send proof by post to Registry Trust Ltd, 3rd Floor, 12 Carthusian Street, London, EC1M 6EB (include a return address) or by email to info@registry-trust.org.uk.

For confirmation searches, submit a £6 cheque payable to Registry Trust Ltd per named person or business, or pay electronically to Lloyds Bank Plc (Account Name: Registry Trust Ltd, Account Number: 00436189, Sort Code: 309368) with case number and defendant name referenced.

Judgments issued in error

We will remove judgments issued in error if we receive a letter from the claimant stating the judgment was issued in error, including case number, court name, amount, and confirmation it was issued in error. Send proof by post to Registry Trust Ltd, 3rd Floor, 12 Carthusian Street, London, EC1M 6EB (include a return address) or by email to info@registry-trust.org.uk.

Confirmation searches follow the same £6/cheque or electronic payment process noted above. We may need to contact the claimant if proof is insufficient.

Who is the Claimant?

The claimant is the individual or organisation who has taken a money judgment out against you. They may act for themselves or instruct a solicitor to start court action on their behalf.

How do I find out who the claimant is?

Contact the Civil Processing Centre on 0300 200 7812 and quote the case number. They can give you claimant contact information so you can learn more and pay them. If you are unaware of the case number, you can search on TrustOnline.

I’ve paid the claimant…now what?

Ask the claimant for proof of payment so the Register can be updated. We require a letter from the claimant stating case number, court name, amount, and date paid in full.

Send original proof by post to Registry Trust Ltd, 3rd Floor, 12 Carthusian Street, London, EC1M 6EB (include a return address) or by email to info@registry-trust.org.uk.

For confirmation searches, submit a £6 cheque payable to Registry Trust Ltd for each named person or business, or pay electronically to Lloyds Bank Plc (Account Name: Registry Trust Ltd, Account Number: 00436189, Sort Code: 309368) with the case number and defendant name referenced.

My claimant has refused to provide proof of payment – what can I do?

Claimants are under no legal obligation to provide proof once payment has been made. If you provide evidence that the debt has been paid, we will attempt to contact the claimant on your behalf. If there is no response after 28 days, the Register may be updated at a manager’s discretion based on the evidence you provide.

Evidence can be sent by post to Registry Trust Ltd, 3rd Floor, 12 Carthusian Street, London, EC1M 6EB (include a return address) or by email to info@registry-trust.org.uk.