Whilst the police enforce the criminal law in the UK, Certificated Enforcement Agents are the law enforcement agents for enforcing the civil law in England and Wales.  Certificated Enforcement Agents also exercise common law powers on behalf of landlords in evicting trespassers and repossessing property under trespass and Tort Laws.

A Certificated Enforcement Agent is a person with legal authority to enforce the payment of debts by seizing the debtor's goods.  They also have the power of arrest when executing an arrest warrant on behalf of Magistrates' Courts.

Enforcement is the ultimate conclusion of the legal process in circumstances where all else has failed, and the High Court relies for much of it's enforcement on professionals, HCEOs and Enforcement Agents, who are officers of the Court acting under direction of the Court, but who are nonetheless independent of the Court Service and are instructed by the judgment creditor.