SOLDIERS' DEBTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3563, 25 September 1916, Page 2

SOLDIERS' DEBTS.

THE LIABILITY TO ARREST

Regulations wore- issued recently regarding the collection of soldiers debts. ' . , . „ ■. In directing attention to tnese, Defence? Headquarters states that the position is still the same, except so fatas exemption is provided by the present War Regulations, the effect of which is that no sflldier of the Expeditionary Force can be taken out of his Majesty's service by arrest without the consent of a '''military authority" (a) under the Destitute Persons Act; (b) under the Imprisonment for Debt Abolition Act. . Soldiers are nob exempted ironl arrest by the police for crime, but only from arrest under the two _ statutes above-named, which substantially are for maintenance of dependents and for debt respectively. It must be noted that the exemption does not go further thaii these two eases, and that there is nothing _to prevent summonses for debt being served upon .soldiers, or any_ ordinary process of the civil courts being taken against thorn. For instance, a soldier owes n civilian a sum of money; the civilian can sue him for the sum of money, and can get judgment _ against him, and he ran exercise all his remedies under thr judgment except to arrest the man's person under the Inil prisonment for Debt Abolition Act.