What happens when you're in debt, and can you be jailed if you don't pay?

Failure to pay most debts is not an arrestable offence, but creditors can use the civil courts to retrieve what's theirs.

Copyright: Dwayne Hards.

Fraudulent conduct is always against the law, but simply refusing to pay most debts is generally a matter for the county courts and will rarely be of concern to the police.