What is a Scottish Decree?

A decree or order is a judgment issued by a sheriff court if you fail to repay money owed to a pursuer, and the pursuer has taken court action to retrieve the money.

You should receive a court summons explaining the details of a decree which gives you the opportunity to dispute it. You may not receive the summons if you have moved address and not notified the pursuer.

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

Your record is placed in a holding area for four weeks from the date of our notification letter so you can provide proof of payment. If no correspondence is received in that timeframe, the decree will be made publicly available and passed to the credit reference agencies for inclusion in their files.

If the decree is paid within a calendar month of the decree date and proof of payment is provided to us, we will remove the decree. If proof is received within 30 days of our letter, the judgment will never go onto our Register or be sent to the credit reference agencies.

The Register for Scotland contains details of undefended money decrees submitted in the Sheriff Courts as small claims, summary cause, simple procedure or ordinary causes.

The information appearing on the Register is as follows:

  • Name and address the decree was recorded against
  • Court name and case number
  • Name and address of defender
  • Date and amount of decree (excluding costs)
  • Details of satisfaction once proof of payment is provided

The Scottish Courts Administration Service does not add a date of birth to decrees, so we receive these without a date of birth.

We do not hold or make publicly available pursuers’ details, but these can be obtained from the relevant Sheriff Court for a search fee if you have the case number.

General Information

Decrees stay on the public Register for six years unless recalled or reponed by the court, dismissed, paid before the court action, or paid in full within one calendar month from the date of decree.

If the decree was entered in error, an application should be made to the court to have it recalled/reponed. If granted, Registry Trust is notified and the item is removed from the Register.

Details of decrees and any subsequent amendments are passed to the credit reference agencies for inclusion in their files.

How to satisfy a Scottish Decree

If you have a Scottish decree or judgment registered against you, you will need to pay the principal sum (the decree amount appearing on our register) in order to have the decree showing as satisfied.

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

If the decree is paid within a calendar month from the date of the decree, and proof of payment is provided to Registry Trust, we will remove the decree from our public Register and notify the credit reference agencies to remove it from their files.

If the decree is paid after a calendar month from the date of decree, you can apply to have the decree marked as satisfied, provided you send in your proof of payment to Registry Trust.

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

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

Your original proof of payment can be sent by post to Registry Trust Ltd, 3rd Floor, 12 Carthusian Street, London, EC1M 6EB. Include a return address for confirmation back to you.

Or email to info@registry-trust.org.uk.

For a search of our Register confirming the decree has been updated, submit a cheque for £6 made payable to Registry Trust Ltd for each named person or business at a specified address. Alternatively, electronic payments can be made to Lloyds Bank Plc, Account Name: Registry Trust Ltd, Account Number: 00436189, Sort Code: 309368. Include the case number and defender name on the transfer.

We may need to contact the pursuer on your behalf if the proof of payment is insufficient. Decrees marked as satisfied will remain on the public Register for six years from the date of the decree.

If you haven’t paid a Decree

You will need to contact the pursuer.

See our guide on Pursuers.

Removing a Scottish Judgment or Scottish Decree

Decrees 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 decree.

Recalling a Decree / Reponing an Ordinary Cause

To have a decree recalled or an ordinary cause reponed, contact the Sheriff Court that issued the decree. If the court recalls or repones a decree, they will notify us to remove it from our public Register. You can check using your case number on TrustOnline.

Decrees paid within a calendar month

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

We require a letter from the pursuer stating the defender name and address, case number, court name, amount of decree, 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 defender name referenced.

Decrees issued in error

We will remove decrees issued in error if we receive a letter from the pursuer stating the decree was issued in error, including defender details, case number, court name, amount, and confirmation it was issued in error. Send proof by post to Registry Trust Ltd, 153-157 Cleveland Street, London, W1T 6QW (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 pursuer if proof is insufficient.

Who is the Pursuer?

The pursuer is the individual or organisation who has taken a money judgment or decree 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 pursuer is?

Contact the Sheriff Court that issued your decree and provide the case number. They can give you the pursuer’s contact information so you can find out more and make a payment. If you do not know the case number, you can obtain it via a search on TrustOnline.

I’ve paid the pursuer…now what?

Ask the pursuer for proof of payment so the Register can be updated. We require a letter from the pursuer stating defender name and address, case number, court name, amount of decree, 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 per 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) with case number and defender name referenced.

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

Pursuers are under no legal obligation to provide proof once payment has been made. If you send us any evidence confirming payment, we will attempt to contact the pursuer on your behalf. If we do not receive a response after 28 days, the Register may be updated at a manager’s discretion based on the evidence provided.

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.