Commentary on Sections Bankruptcy in England & Wales Section 419: Tainted gifts
564.This section deals with the procedure under the insolvency legislation for voiding a gift made by a bankrupt to a third party, so that it can be used to pay creditors. This procedure is similar to the procedure for recovering tainted gifts in the confiscation legislation. Where a person holds a gift, it is possible for the confiscation legislation and the insolvency legislation both to lay claim to the same property simultaneously. The section explains what happens when this situation arises.
565.The approach to gifts adopted by section 419 is similar to the overall approach in Part 9 of the Act, which was described in the notes on sections 417 and 418 above. Section 419 makes it clear that where restraint or receivership action has been taken against property in the hands of the gift recipient, then the power to void the gift under the insolvency legislation cannot be exercised for as long as that action is underway.