Winding-up petitions
The moratorium on enforcement of forfeiture of leases for non-payment of commercial rent is provided in the Coronavirus Act 2020, section 82 (England and Wales) and section 83 (Northern Ireland). Provision for Scotland is made by paragraph 7 of Schedule 7 to the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020.
	Sections 122, 123, 124, 127 and 129 of the Insolvency Act 1986, and rules 7.3, 7.10 and 12.39 of the Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016, and, in Scotland, the Insolvency (Scotland)(Receivership and Winding-up) Rules 2018 and Rules of Court, relate to the opening of winding-up proceedings against a company.
	Sections 122 and 123 concern the grounds upon which a company may be wound-up, section 124 provides that winding-up is begun by a creditor presenting a petition to a court, and sections 127 and 129 are concerned with the making (and consequences) of a winding-up order.
	In particular, one of the grounds in section 122 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (section 122(1)(f)) is that the company is unable to pay its debts. One of the circumstances where a company is considered to be unable to pay its debts in section 123 (section 123(1)(a)) is if a company owes more than £750, a demand has been made in the correct form, and the sum remains unpaid after 3 weeks. Section 127 of the Insolvency Act 1986 provides that where a winding-up order is made then any disposal of property by the company after the winding-up petition was presented is void. Rule 7.10 requires that where a petition is presented then notice of that petition must be advertised in the London Gazette. Separate rules apply in Scotland, but advertisement of the petition is nevertheless still a requirement.
	Sections 221 and 229 of the Insolvency Act 1986 make equivalent provisions for the purpose of unregistered companies.
	Sections 74, 206, 207, 214A, 240, and 242-245 of the Insolvency Act 1986 provide for the reversal of certain transactions in the period leading up to the commencement of winding-up proceedings.
	In Northern Ireland, the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 and the Insolvency Rules (Northern Ireland) 1991 make provision that is equivalent to the Insolvency Act 1986 and the Insolvency Rules 2016.