Statutory Interest on a Judgment in Western Australia: The 6% Rate Explained

Every day your judgment goes unpaid, the amount owed grows. Post-judgment interest in Western Australia is not optional and does not require a court application — it accrues automatically from the day the judgment takes effect.

The Rate

Under section 8(1)(a) of the Civil Judgments Enforcement Act 2004 and Regulation 4, the prescribed post-judgment interest rate is 6% per annum, calculated as simple interest. This rate applies to the unpaid balance of both the principal judgment sum and any awarded court costs.

The rate is prescribed by regulation unless the court expressly orders otherwise.

How to Calculate It

The daily interest formula is straightforward:

Daily interest = Unpaid balance × 0.06 ÷ 365

On a $10,000 judgment, that works out to $1.64 per day. Over 180 days of non-payment, interest alone adds $295.89 to the debt.

On a $5,000 judgment: $0.82 per day, or $147.95 over six months.

On a $2,000 judgment: $0.33 per day — modest, but it still accumulates.

When Interest Starts

Interest runs from the day the judgment takes effect, which under CJEA section 11 is usually the day it is given. If the court explicitly orders a deferred effective date, interest starts from that deferred date instead.

Interest accrues regardless of whether the debtor is making partial payments, whether an instalment order is in place, or whether enforcement proceedings have been filed. The clock does not pause.

How Partial Payments Are Applied

When the debtor makes a partial payment, the payment is applied in this order:

1. Accrued post-judgment interest
2. Court enforcement costs (bailiff fees, filing fees, legal costs)
3. The remaining amount reduces the principal judgment balance

This means if you have $120 in accrued interest and $117.50 in enforcement costs, a $300 payment clears the interest ($120), clears the costs ($117.50), and only $62.50 comes off the principal. The debtor's next interest calculation uses the reduced principal.

Interest on Enforcement Costs

Enforcement costs you incur — means inquiry fees, bailiff service charges, legal allowances — can be added to the judgment debt. The 6% interest calculation applies to unpaid judgment principal and awarded court costs; keep enforcement fee additions as separate entries in your ledger.

Does Interest Make Small Judgments Worth Enforcing

On its own, no. Interest on a $1,500 judgment runs at 25 cents per day. But interest is not the point — it is the mechanism that prevents a debtor from gaining by delay. Every month of non-payment increases what they owe, which creates an incentive to settle rather than ignore.

For larger judgments, the numbers become material. On a $50,000 general procedure judgment, interest runs at $8.22 per day — nearly $3,000 per year. Over a multi-year enforcement process involving means inquiries and Property Seizure and Sale Orders, the total owed can grow significantly.

The WA Judgment Enforcement Guide includes a payment tracking ledger that accounts for interest accrual, partial payments and enforcement cost additions across the full enforcement cycle.

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