In legal proceedings, if a debtor successfully raises the defence of “extinctive prescription”, then the claim against him or her is made permanently unenforceable. This will be the case regardless of whether the claim is legally valid in all respects, or the creditor enforcing the claim has ample or even irrefutable evidence proving his or her claim.

The defence becomes available as a result of a period of time, set out in the law, having passed since the claim came into being. These periods of time are, largely, set out in the Prescription Act.

If a debtor satisfies a claim – for example, repays a debt – despite the fact that the defence of extinctive prescription was available to him or her because of the length of time that had passed since the debt became due, she or he cannot insist on repayment of the money paid. The debtor must…