WorldAugust 15, 2026

garnishment

GAR-nish-ment

Definition

A legal proceeding in which a debtor's property, such as wages or bank account funds, is seized to pay a debt owed to a creditor.

Etymology

The word originates from the Old French 'garnir', meaning to equip, warn, or provide. It entered legal terminology to describe the formal 'warning' given to a third party to hold a debtor's assets until the debt is satisfied.

In the news

The article describes wage and bank account garnishment as one of the new enforcement tools used to collect bail debts when court-ordered conditions are violated. It highlights the government's shift toward making these financial penalties easier to recover.

New bail measures target repeat and violent offenders, government says

Read the full article ↗

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